Anti-cd79b antibodies and immunoconjugates and methods of use

ABSTRACT

The present invention is directed to compositions of matter useful for the treatment of hematopoietic tumor in mammals and to methods of using those compositions of matter for the same.

CROSS REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS

This application is a continuation of U.S. patent application Ser. No. 13/973,669, filed Aug. 22, 2013, now U.S. Pat. No. 10,494,432, issued Dec. 3, 2019, which is a continuation of U.S. application Ser. No. 12/940,435, filed Nov. 5, 2010, now U.S. Pat. No. 8,545,850, issued Oct. 1, 2013, which is a continuation of U.S. application Ser. No. 12/173,465, filed Jul. 15, 2008, now U.S. Pat. No. 8,088,378, issued Jan. 3, 2012, which claims the benefit of U.S. Provisional Patent Application No. 60/950,052, filed Jul. 16, 2007, U.S. Provisional Patent Application No. 61/025,137, filed Jan. 31, 2008, U.S. Provisional Patent Application No., 61/032,790, filed Feb. 29, 2008, and U.S. Provisional Patent Application No. 61/054,709, filed May 20, 2008, each of which is incorporated herein by reference in its entirety.

SUBMISSION OF SEQUENCE LISTING ON ASCII TEXT FILE

The content of the following submission on ASCII text file is incorporated herein by reference in its entirety: a computer readable form (CRF) of the Sequence Listing (file name: 146392029505SEQLIST.TXT, date recorded: Oct. 10, 2019, size: 191 KB).

FIELD OF THE INVENTION

The present invention is directed to compositions of matter useful for the treatment of hematopoietic tumor in mammals and to methods of using those compositions of matter for the same.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

Malignant tumors (cancers) are the second leading cause of death in the United States, after heart disease (Boring et al., CA Cancel J. Clin. 43:7 (1993)). Cancer is characterized by the increase in the number of abnormal, or neoplastic, cells derived from a normal tissue which proliferate to form a tumor mass, the invasion of adjacent tissues by these neoplastic tumor cells, and the generation of malignant cells which eventually spread via the blood or lymphatic system to regional lymph nodes and to distant sites via a process called metastasis. In a cancerous state, a cell proliferates under conditions in which normal cells would not grow. Cancer manifests itself in a wide variety of forms, characterized by different degrees of invasiveness and aggressiveness.

Cancers which involve cells generated during hematopoiesis, a process by which cellular elements of blood, such as lymphocytes, leukocytes, platelets, erythrocytes and natural killer cells are generated are referred to as hematopoietic cancers. Lymphocytes which can be found in blood and lymphatic tissue and are critical for immune response are categorized into two main classes of lymphocytes: B lymphocytes (B cells) and T lymphocytes (T cells), which mediate humoral and cell mediated immunity, respectively.

B cells mature within the bone marrow and leave the marrow expressing an antigen-binding antibody on their cell surface. When a naive B cell first encounters the antigen for which its membrane-bound antibody is specific, the cell begins to divide rapidly and its progeny differentiate into memory B cells and effector cells called “plasma cells”. Memory B cells have a longer life span and continue to express membrane-bound antibody with the same specificity as the original parent cell. Plasma cells do not produce membrane-bound antibody but instead produce the antibody in a form that can be secreted. Secreted antibodies are the major effector molecule of humoral immunity.

T cells mature within the thymus which provides an environment for the proliferation and differentiation of immature T cells. During T cell maturation, the T cells undergo the gene rearrangements that produce the T-cell receptor and the positive and negative selection which helps determine the cell-surface phenotype of the mature T cell. Characteristic cell surface markers of mature T cells are the CD3:T-cell receptor complex and one of the coreceptors, CD4 or CD8.

In attempts to discover effective cellular targets for cancer therapy, researchers have sought to identify transmembrane or otherwise membrane-associated polypeptides that are specifically expressed on the surface of one or more particular type(s) of cancer cell as compared to on one or more normal non-cancerous cell(s). Often, such membrane-associated polypeptides are more abundantly expressed on the surface of the cancer cells as compared to on the surface of the non-cancerous cells. The identification of such tumor-associated cell surface antigen polypeptides has given rise to the ability to specifically target cancer cells for destruction via antibody-based therapies. In this regard, it is noted that antibody-based therapy has proved very effective in the treatment of certain cancers. For example, HERCEPTIN® and RITUXAN® (both from Genentech Inc., South San Francisco, Calif.) are antibodies that have been used successfully to treat breast cancer and non-Hodgkin's lymphoma, respectively. More specifically, HERCEPTIN® is a recombinant DNA-derived humanized monoclonal antibody that selectively binds to the extracellular domain of the human epidermal growth factor receptor 2 (HER2) proto-oncogene. HER2 protein overexpression is observed in 25-30% of primary breast cancers. RITUXAN® is a genetically engineered chimeric murine/human monoclonal antibody directed against the CD20 antigen found on the surface of normal and malignant B lymphocytes. Both these antibodies are recombinantly produced in CHO cells.

In other attempts to discover effective cellular targets for cancer therapy, researchers have sought to identify (1) non-membrane-associated polypeptides that are specifically produced by one or more particular type(s) of cancer cell(s) as compared to by one or more particular type(s) of non-cancerous normal cell(s), (2) polypeptides that are produced by cancer cells at an expression level that is significantly higher than that of one or more normal non-cancerous cell(s), or (3) polypeptides whose expression is specifically limited to only a single (or very limited number of different) tissue type(s) in both the cancerous and non-cancerous state (e.g., normal prostate and prostate tumor tissue). Such polypeptides may remain intracellularly located or may be secreted by the cancer cell. Moreover, such polypeptides may be expressed not by the cancer cell itself, but rather by cells which produce and/or secrete polypeptides having a potentiating or growth-enhancing effect on cancer cells. Such secreted polypeptides are often proteins that provide cancer cells with a growth advantage over normal cells and include such things as, for example, angiogenic factors, cellular adhesion factors, growth factors, and the like. Identification of antagonists of such non-membrane associated polypeptides would be expected to serve as effective therapeutic agents for the treatment of such cancers. Furthermore, identification of the expression pattern of such polypeptides would be useful for the diagnosis of particular cancers in mammals.

Despite the above identified advances in mammalian cancer therapy, there is a great need for additional therapeutic agents capable of detecting the presence of tumor in a mammal and for effectively inhibiting neoplastic cell growth, respectively. Accordingly, it is an objective of the present invention to identify polypeptides, cell membrane-associated, secreted or intracellular polypeptides whose expression is specifically limited to only a single (or very limited number of different) tissue type(s), hematopoietic tissues, in both a cancerous and non-cancerous state, and to use those polypeptides, and their encoding nucleic acids, to produce compositions of matter useful in the therapeutic treatment and/or detection of hematopoietic cancer in mammals.

CD79 is the signaling component of the B-cell receptor consisting of a covalent heterodimer containing CD79a (Igα, mb-1) and CD79b (Igβ, B29). CD79a and CD79b each contain an extracellular immunoglobulin (Ig) domain, a transmembrane domain, and an intracellular signaling domain, an immunoreceptor tyrosine-based activation motif (ITAM) domain . CD79 is expressed on B cells and in Non-Hodgkin's Lymphoma cells (NHLs) (Cabezudo et al., Haematologica, 84:413-418 (1999); D'Arena et al., Am. J. Hematol., 64: 275-281 (2000); Olejniczak et al., Immunol. Invest., 35: 93-114 (2006)). CD79a and CD79b and sIg are all required for surface expression of the CD79 (Matsuuchi et al., Curr. Opin. Immunol., 13(3): 270-7)). The average surface expression of CD79b on NHLs is similar to that on normal B-cells, but with a greater range (Matsuuchi et al., Curr. Opin. Immunol., 13(3): 270-7 (2001)).

Given the expression of CD79b, it is beneficial to produce therapeutic antibodies to the CD79b antigen that create minimal or no antigenicity when administered to patients, especially for chronic treatment. The present invention satisfies this and other needs. The present invention provides anti-CD79b antibodies that overcome the limitations of current therapeutic compositions as well as offer additional advantages that will be apparent from the detailed description below.

The use of antibody-drug conjugates (ADC), i.e. immunoconjugates, for the local delivery of cytotoxic or cytostatic agents, i.e. drugs to kill or inhibit tumor cells in the treatment of cancer (Lambert, J. (2005) Curr. Opinion in Pharmacology 5:543-549; Wu et al (2005) Nature Biotechnology 23(9):1137-1146; Payne, G. (2003) Cancer Cell 3:207-212; Syrigos and Epenetos (1999) Anticancer Research 19:605-614; Niculescu-Duvaz and Springer (1997) Adv. Drug Del. Rev. 26:151-172; US 4975278) allows targeted delivery of the drug moiety to tumors, and intracellular accumulation therein, where systemic administration of these unconjugated drug agents may result in unacceptable levels of toxicity to normal cells as well as the tumor cells sought to be eliminated (Baldwin et al (1986) Lancet pp. (Mar. 15, 1986):603-05; Thorpe, (1985) “Antibody Carriers Of Cytotoxic Agents In Cancer Therapy: A Review,” in Monoclonal Antibodies '84: Biological And Clinical Applications, A. Pinchera et al (ed.s), pp. 475-506). Efforts to improve the therapeutic index, i.e. maximal efficacy and minimal toxicity of ADC have focused on the selectivity of polyclonal (Rowland et al (1986) Cancer Immunol. Immunother., 21:183-87) and monoclonal antibodies (mAbs) as well as drug-linking and drug-releasing properties (Lambert, J. (2005) Curr. Opinion in Pharmacology 5:543-549). Drug moieties used in antibody drug conjugates include bacterial protein toxins such as diphtheria toxin, plant protein toxins such as ricin, small molecules such as auristatins, geldanamycin (Mandler et al (2000) J. of the Nat. Cancer Inst. 92(19):1573-1581; Mandler et al (2000) Bioorganic & Med. Chem. Letters 10:1025-1028; Mandler et al (2002) Bioconjugate Chem. 13:786-791), maytansinoids (EP 1391213; Liu et al (1996) Proc. Natl. Acad. Sci. USA 93:8618-8623), calicheamicin (Lode et al (1998) Cancer Res. 58:2928; Hinman et al (1993) Cancer Res. 53:3336-3342), daunomycin, doxorubicin, methotrexate, and vindesine (Rowland et al (1986) supra). The drug moieties may affect cytotoxic and cytostatic mechanisms including tubulin binding, DNA binding, or topoisomerase inhibition. Some cytotoxic drugs tend to be inactive or less active when conjugated to large antibodies or protein receptor ligands.

The auristatin peptides, auristatin E (AE) and monomethylauristatin (MMAE), synthetic analogs of dolastatin (WO 02/088172), have been conjugated as drug moieties to: (i) chimeric monoclonal antibodies cBR96 (specific to Lewis Y on carcinomas); (ii) cAC10 which is specific to CD30 on hematological malignancies (Klussman, et al (2004), Bioconjugate Chemistry 15(4):765-773; Doronina et al (2003) Nature Biotechnology 21(7):778-784; Francisco et al (2003) Blood 102(4):1458-1465; US 2004/0018194; (iii) anti-CD20 antibodies such as rituxan (WO 04/032828) for the treatment of CD20-expressing cancers and immune disorders; (iv) anti-EphB2R antibody 2H9 for treatment of colorectal cancer (Mao et al (2004) Cancer Research 64(3):781-788); (v) E-selectin antibody (Bhaskar et al (2003) Cancer Res. 63:6387-6394); (vi) trastuzumab (HERCEPTIN®, US 2005/0238649), and (vi) anti-CD30 antibodies (WO 03/043583). Variants of auristatin E are disclosed in US 5767237 and US 6124431. Monomethyl auristatin E conjugated to monoclonal antibodies are disclosed in Senter et al, Proceedings of the American Association for Cancer Research, Volume 45, Abstract Number 623, presented March 28, 2004. Auristatin analogs MMAE and MMAF have been conjugated to various antibodies (US 2005/0238649).

Conventional means of attaching, i.e. linking through covalent bonds, a drug moiety to an antibody generally leads to a heterogeneous mixture of molecules where the drug moieties are attached at a number of sites on the antibody. For example, cytotoxic drugs have typically been conjugated to antibodies through the often-numerous lysine residues of an antibody, generating a heterogeneous antibody-drug conjugate mixture. Depending on reaction conditions, the heterogeneous mixture typically contains a distribution of antibodies with from 0 to about 8, or more, attached drug moieties. In addition, within each subgroup of conjugates with a particular integer ratio of drug moieties to antibody, is a potentially heterogeneous mixture where the drug moiety is attached at various sites on the antibody. Analytical and preparative methods may be inadequate to separate and characterize the antibody-drug conjugate species molecules within the heterogeneous mixture resulting from a conjugation reaction. Antibodies are large, complex and structurally diverse biomolecules, often with many reactive functional groups. Their reactivities with linker reagents and drug-linker intermediates are dependent on factors such as pH, concentration, salt concentration, and co-solvents. Furthermore, the multistep conjugation process may be nonreproducible due to difficulties in controlling the reaction conditions and characterizing reactants and intermediates.

Cysteine thiols are reactive at neutral pH, unlike most amines which are protonated and less nucleophilic near pH 7. Since free thiol (RSH, sulfhydryl) groups are relatively reactive, proteins with cysteine residues often exist in their oxidized form as disulfide-linked oligomers or have internally bridged disulfide groups. Extracellular proteins generally do not have free thiols (Garman, 1997, Non-Radioactive Labelling: A Practical Approach, Academic Press, London, at page 55). Antibody cysteine thiol groups are generally more reactive, i.e. more nucleophilic, towards electrophilic conjugation reagents than antibody amine or hydroxyl groups. Cysteine residues have been introduced into proteins by genetic engineering techniques to form covalent attachments to ligands or to form new intramolecular disulfide bonds (Better et al (1994) J. Biol. Chem. 13:9644-9650; Bernhard et al (1994) Bioconjugate Chem. 5:126-132; Greenwood et al (1994) Therapeutic Immunology 1:247-255; Tu et al (1999) Proc. Natl. Acad. Sci USA 96:4862-4867; Kanno et al (2000) J. of Biotechnology, 76:207-214; Chmura et al (2001) Proc. Nat. Acad. Sci. USA 98(15):8480-8484; US 6248564). However, engineering in cysteine thiol groups by the mutation of various amino acid residues of a protein to cysteine amino acids is potentially problematic, particularly in the case of unpaired (free Cys) residues or those which are relatively accessible for reaction or oxidation. In concentrated solutions of the protein, whether in the periplasm of E. coli, culture supernatants, or partially or completely purified protein, unpaired Cys residues on the surface of the protein can pair and oxidize to form intermolecular disulfides, and hence protein dimers or multimers. Disulfide dimer formation renders the new Cys unreactive for conjugation to a drug, ligand, or other label. Furthermore, if the protein oxidatively forms an intramolecular disulfide bond between the newly engineered Cys and an existing Cys residue, both Cys thiol groups are unavailable for active site participation and interactions. Furthermore, the protein may be rendered inactive or non-specific, by misfolding or loss of tertiary structure (Zhang et al (2002) Anal. Biochem. 311:1-9).

Cysteine-engineered antibodies have been designed as FAB antibody fragments (thioFab) and expressed as full-length, IgG monoclonal (thioMab) antibodies (Junutula, J.R. et al. (2008) J Immunol Methods 332:41-52; US 2007/0092940, the contents of which are incorporated by reference). ThioFab and ThioMab antibodies have been conjugated through linkers at the newly introduced cysteine thiols with thiol-reactive linker reagents and drug-linker reagents to prepare antibody drug conjugates (Thio ADC).

All references cited herein, including patent applications and publications, are incorporated by reference in their entirety.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

The invention provides anti-CD79b antibodies or functional fragments thereof, and their method of use in the treatment of hematopoietic tumors.

In one aspect, the invention provides an antibody which binds, preferably specifically, to any of the above or below described polypeptides. Optionally, the antibody is a monoclonal antibody, antibody fragment, including Fab, Fab′, F(ab′)₂, and Fv fragment, diabody, single domain antibody, chimeric antibody, humanized antibody, single-chain antibody or antibody that competitively inhibits the binding of an anti-CD79b polypeptide antibody to its respective antigenic epitope. Antibodies of the present invention may optionally be conjugated to a growth inhibitory agent or cytotoxic agent such as a toxin, including, for example, an auristatin, a maytansinoid, a dolostatin derivative or a calicheamicin, an antibiotic, a radioactive isotope, a nucleolytic enzyme, or the like. The antibodies of the present invention may optionally be produced in CHO cells or bacterial cells and preferably induce death of a cell to which they bind. For detection purposes, the antibodies of the present invention may be detectably labeled, attached to a solid support, or the like.

In one aspect, the invention provides a humanized anti-CD79b antibody wherein the monovalent affinity (e.g affinity of the antibody as a Fab fragment to CD79b) or affinity in its bivalent form of the antibody to CD79b (e.g. affinity of the antibody as an IgG fragment to CD79b) is substantially the same as, lower than, or greater than, the monovalent affinity or affinity in its bivalent form, respectively, of a murine antibody (e.g. affinity of the murine antibody as a Fab fragment or as an IgG fragment to CD79b) or a chimeric antibody (e.g. affinity of the chimeric antibody as a Fab fragment or as an IgG fragment to CD79b), comprising, consisting or consisting essentially of a light chain and heavy chain variable domain sequence as depicted in FIGS. 7A-7B (SEQ ID NO: 10) and FIGS. 8A-8B (SEQ ID NO: 14).

In another aspect, the invention provides a humanized anti-CD79b antibody wherein the affinity of the antibody in its bivalent form to CD79b (e.g., affinity of the antibody as an IgG to CD79b) is 0.4 nM, 0.2 nM or 0.5 nM.

In one aspect, an antibody that binds to CD79b is provided, wherein the antibody comprises at least one, two, three, four, five or six HVRs selected from the group consisting of:

(i) HVR-Ll comprising sequence A1-A15, wherein A1-A15 is KASQSVDYDGDSFLN (SEQ ID NO: 131)

(ii) HVR-L2 comprising sequence B1-B7, wherein B1-B7 is AASNLES (SEQ ID NO: 132)

(iii) HVR-L3 comprising sequence C1-C9, wherein C1-C9 is QQSNEDPLT (SEQ ID NO: 133)

(iv) HVR-Hl comprising sequence D1-D10, wherein D1-D10 is GYTFSSYWIE (SEQ ID NO: 134)

(v) HVR-H2 comprising sequence E1-E18, wherein E1-E18 is GEILPGGGDTNYNEIFKG (SEQ ID NO: 135) and

(vi) HVR-H3 comprising sequence F1-F10, wherein F1-F10 IS TRRVPVYFDY (SEQ ID NO: 136).

In one aspect, an antibody that binds to CD79b is provided, wherein the antibody comprises at least one variant HVR wherein the variant HVR sequence comprises modification of at least one residue of the sequence depicted in SEQ ID NOs: 131, 132, 133, 134, 135 or 136.

In one aspect, the invention provides an antibody comprising a heavy chain variable domain comprising the HVR1-HC, HVR2-HC and/or HVR3-HC sequence depicted in FIG. 15B (SEQ ID NO: 164-166).

In one aspect, the invention provides an antibody comprising a light chain variable domain comprising HVR1-LC, HVR2-LC and/or HVR3-LC sequence depicted in FIG. 15A (SEQ ID NO: 156-158).

In one aspect, the invention provides an antibody comprising a heavy chain variable domain comprising the HVR1-HC, HVR2-HC and/or HVR3-HC sequence depicted in FIG. 16B (SEQ ID NO: 183-185).

In one aspect, the invention provides an antibody comprising a light chain variable domain comprising HVR1-LC, HVR2-LC and/or HVR3-LC sequence depicted in FIG. 16A (SEQ ID NO: 175-177).

In one aspect, the invention provides an antibody comprising a heavy chain variable domain comprising the HVR1-HC, HVR2-HC and/or HVR3-HC sequence depicted in FIG. 17B (SEQ ID NO: 202-204).

In one aspect, the invention provides an antibody comprising a light chain variable domain comprising HVR1-LC, HVR2-LC and/or HVR3-LC sequence depicted in FIG. 17A (SEQ ID NO: 194-196).

In one aspect, the invention provides an antibody comprising a heavy chain variable domain comprising the HVR1-HC, HVR2-HC and/or HVR3-HC sequence depicted in FIG. 18B (SEQ ID NO: 221-223).

In one aspect, the invention provides an antibody comprising a light chain variable domain comprising HVR1-LC, HVR2-LC and/or HVR3-LC sequence depicted in FIG. 18A (SEQ ID NO: 213-215).

In one aspect, the invention includes an anti-CD79b antibody comprising a heavy chain variable domain selected from SEQ ID NOs: 170, 189, 208 or 227. In another aspect, the invention includes an anti-CD79b antibody comprising a light chain variable domain selected from SEQ ID NOs: 169, 188, 207 or 226.

In one aspect, the invention includes a cysteine engineered anti-CD79b antibody comprising one or more free cysteine amino acids and a sequence selected from SEQ ID NOs: 251-298. The cysteine engineered anti-CD79b antibody may bind to a CD79b polypeptide. The cysteine engineered anti-CD79b antibody may be prepared by a process comprising replacing one or more amino acid residues of a parent anti-CD79b antibody by cysteine.

In one aspect, the invention includes a cysteine engineered anti-CD79b antibody comprising one or more free cysteine amino acids wherein the cysteine engineered anti-CD79b antibody binds to a CD79b polypeptide and is prepared by a process comprising replacing one or more amino acid residues of a parent anti-CD79b antibody by cysteine wherein the parent antibody comprises at least one HVR sequence selected from:

-   -   (a) HVR-L1 comprising sequence A1-A15, wherein A1-A15 is         KASQSVDYDGDSFLN (SEQ ID NO: 131) or KASQSVDYEGDSFLN (SEQ ID NO:         137);     -   (b) HVR-L2 comprising sequence B1-B7, wherein B1-B7 is AASNLES         (SEQ ID NO: 132)     -   (c) HVR-L3 comprising sequence C1-C9, wherein C1-C9 is QQSNEDPLT         (SEQ ID NO: 133)     -   (d) HVR-H1 comprising sequence D1-D10, wherein D1-D10 is         GYTFSSYWIE (SEQ ID NO: 134)     -   (e) HVR-H2 comprising sequence E1-E18, wherein E1-E18 is         GEILPGGGDTNYNEIFKG (SEQ ID NO: 135) and     -   (f) HVR-H3 comprising sequence F1-F10, wherein F1-F10 is         TRRVPVYFDY (SEQ ID NO: 136) or TRRVPIRLDY (SEQ ID NO: 138).

The cysteine engineered anti-CD79b antibody may be a monoclonal antibody, antibody fragment, chimeric antibody, humanized antibody, single-chain antibody or antibody that competitively inhibits the binding of an anti-CD79b polypeptide antibody to its respective antigenic epitope. Antibodies of the present invention may optionally be conjugated to a growth inhibitory agent or cytotoxic agent such as a toxin, including, for example, an auristatin or maytansinoid. The antibodies of the present invention may optionally be produced in CHO cells or bacterial cells and preferably inhibit the growth or proliferation of or induce the death of a cell to which they bind. For diagnostic purposes, the antibodies of the present invention may be detectably labeled, attached to a solid support, or the like.

In one aspect, the invention provides methods for making an antibody of the invention. For example, the invention provides a method of making a CD79b antibody (which, as defined herein includes full length and fragments thereof), said method comprising expressing in a suitable host cell a recombinant vector of the invention encoding said antibody (or fragment thereof), and recovering said antibody.

In one aspect, the invention is a pharmaceutical formulation comprising an antibody of the invention or an antibody-drug conjugate of the invention, and a pharmaceutically acceptable diluent, carrier or excipient.

In one aspect, the invention provides an article of manufacture comprising a container; and a composition contained within the container, wherein the composition comprises one or more CD79b antibodies of the invention.

In one aspect, the invention provides a kit comprising a first container comprising a composition comprising one or more CD79b antibodies of the invention; and a second container comprising a buffer.

In one aspect, the invention provides use of a CD79b antibody of the invention in the preparation of a medicament for the therapeutic and/or prophylactic treatment of a disease, such as a cancer, a tumor and/or a cell proliferative disorder.

In one aspect, the invention provides use of an article of manufacture of the invention in the preparation of a medicament for the therapeutic and/or prophylactic treatment of a disease, such as a cancer, a tumor and/or a cell proliferative disorder.

In one aspect, the invention provides use of a kit of the invention in the preparation of a medicament for the therapeutic and/or prophylactic treatment of a disease, such as a cancer, a tumor and/or a cell proliferative disorder.

In one aspect, the invention provides a method of inhibiting the growth of a cell that expresses CD79b, said method comprising contacting said cell with an antibody of the invention thereby causing an inhibition of growth of said cell. In one embodiment, the antibody is conjugated to a cytotoxic agent. In one embodiment, the antibody is conjugated to a growth inhibitory agent.

In one aspect, the invention provides a method of therapeutically treating a mammal having a cancerous tumor comprising a cell that expresses CD79b, said method comprising administering to said mammal a therapeutically effective amount of an antibody of the invention, thereby effectively treating said mammal. In one embodiment, the antibody is conjugated to a cytotoxic agent. In one embodiment, the antibody is conjugated to a growth inhibitory agent.

In one aspect, the invention provides a method for treating or preventing a cell proliferative disorder associated with increased expression of CD79b, said method comprising administering to a subject in need of such treatment an effective amount of an antibody of the invention, thereby effectively treating or preventing said cell proliferative disorder. In one embodiment, said proliferative disorder is cancer. In one embodiment, the antibody is conjugated to a cytotoxic agent. In one embodiment, the antibody is conjugated to a growth inhibitory agent.

In one aspect, the invention provides a method for inhibiting the growth of a cell, wherein growth of said cell is at least in part dependent upon a growth potentiating effect of CD79b, said method comprising contacting said cell with an effective amount of an antibody of the invention, thereby inhibiting the growth of said cell. In one embodiment, the antibody is conjugated to a cytotoxic agent. In one embodiment, the antibody is conjugated to a growth inhibitory agent.

In one aspect, the invention provides a method of therapeutically treating a tumor in a mammal, wherein the growth of said tumor is at least in part dependent upon a growth potentiating effect of CD79b, said method comprising contacting said cell with an effective amount of an antibody of the invention, thereby effectively treating said tumor. In one embodiment, the antibody is conjugated to a cytotoxic agent. In one embodiment, the antibody is conjugated to a growth inhibitory agent.

In one aspect, the invention provides a method of treating cancer comprising administering to a patient the pharmaceutical formulation comprising an immunoconjugate described herein, acceptable diluent, carrier or excipient.

In one aspect, the invention provides a method of inhibiting B cell proliferation comprising exposing a cell to an immunoconjugate comprising an antibody of the invention under conditions permissive for binding of the immunoconjugate to CD79b.

In one aspect, the invention provides a method of determining the presence of CD79b in a sample suspected of containing CD79b, said method comprising exposing said sample to an antibody of the invention, and determining binding of said antibody to CD79b in said sample wherein binding of said antibody to CD79b in said sample is indicative of the presence of said protein in said sample.

In one aspect, the invention provides a method of diagnosing a cell proliferative disorder associated with an increase in cells, such as B cells, expressing CD79b is provided, the method comprising contacting a test cells in a biological sample with any of the above antibodies; determining the level of antibody bound to test cells in the sample by detecting binding of the antibody to CD79b; and comparing the level of antibody bound to cells in a control sample, wherein the level of antibody bound is normalized to the number of CD79b-expressing cells in the test and control samples, and wherein a higher level of antibody bound in the test sample as compared to the control sample indicates the presence of a cell proliferative disorder associated with cells expressing CD79b.

In one aspect, the invention provides a method of detecting soluble CD79b in blood or serum, the method comprising contacting a test sample of blood or serum from a mammal suspected of experiencing a B cell proliferative disorder with an anti-CD79b antibody of the invention and detecting a increase in soluble CD79b in the test sample relative to a control sample of blood or serum from a normal mammal.

In one aspect, the invention provides a method of binding an antibody of the invention to a cell that expresses CD79b, said method comprising contacting said cell with an antibody of the invention. In one embodiment, the antibody is conjugated to a cytotoxic agent. In one embodiment, the antibody is conjugated to a growth inhibitory agent.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

FIG. 1 shows a nucleotide sequence (SEQ ID NO: 1) of a PRO36249 cDNA, wherein SEQ ID NO: 1 is a clone designated herein as “DNA225786” (also referred here in as “CD79b”). The nucleotide sequence encodes for CD79b with the start and stop codons shown in bold and underlined.

FIG. 2 shows the amino acid sequence (SEQ ID NO: 2) derived from the coding sequence of SEQ ID NO: 1 shown in FIG. 1.

FIG. 3 shows the nucleotide sequence (SEQ ID NO: 3) of the light chain of chimeric CD79b murine antibody (chMA79b) IgG1 (MA79b is a murine monoclonal anti-CD79b antibody). The nucleotide sequence encodes for the light chain of chMA79b with the start and stop codons shown in bold and underlined.

FIG. 4 shows the amino acid sequence (SEQ ID NO: 4), missing the first 18 amino acid signal sequence, derived from the coding sequence of SEQ ID NO: 3 shown in FIG. 3. Variable regions are regions not underlined.

FIG. 5 shows the nucleotide sequence (SEQ ID NO: 5) of the heavy chain of chimeric murine antibody (chMA79b) IgG1 (MA79b is a murine monoclonal anti-CD79b antibody). The nucleotide sequence encodes for the heavy chain of chMA79b with the start and stop codons shown in bold and underlined.

FIG. 6 shows the amino acid sequence (SEQ ID NO: 6), missing the first 18 amino acid signal sequence and the last lysine (K) prior to the stop codon, derived from the coding sequence of SEQ ID NO: 5 shown in FIG. 5. Variable regions are regions not underlined.

FIGS. 7A-7B show the alignment of sequences of the variable light chains for the following: light chain human kappa I consensus sequence (labeled as “huKI”; SEQ ID NO: 9) with VL-FR1, VL-FR2, VL-FR3, VL-FR4 (SEQ ID NOs: 139-142, respectively), murine anti-CD79b antibody (labeled as “MA79b”; SEQ ID NO: 10), MA79b-grafted “humanized” antibody (labeled as “huMA79b graft”; SEQ ID NO: 11), MA79b-grated “humanized” antibody variant 17 (labeled as “huMA79b.v17”; SEQ ID NO: 169), MA79b-grafted “humanized” antibody variant 18 (labeled as “huMA79b.v18”; SEQ ID NO: 188), MA79b-grafted “humanized” antibody variant 28 (labeled as “huMA79b.v28”; SEQ ID NO: 207) and MA79b-grafted “humanized” antibody variant 32 (labeled as “huMA79b.v32”; SEQ ID NO: 226). Positions are numbered according to Kabat and hypervariable regions (HVRs) grafted from MA79b to the variable light Kappa I consensus framework are boxed.

FIGS. 8A-8B show the alignment of sequences of the variable heavy chains for the following: heavy chain human subgroup III consensus sequence (labeled as “humlll”; SEQ ID NO: 13) with VH-FR1, VH-FR2, VH-FR3, and VH-FR4 (SEQ ID NOs: 143-146), murine anti-CD79b antibody (labeled as “MA79b”; SEQ ID NO: 14), MA79b-grafted “humanized” antibody (labeled as “huMA79b graft”; SEQ ID NO: 15) (containing 71A, 73T and 78A), MA79b-grated “humanized” antibody variant 17 (labeled as “huMA79b.v17”; SEQ ID NO: 170) (containing 71A, 73T and 78A), MA79b-grafted “humanized” antibody variant 18 (labeled as “huMA79b.v18”; SEQ ID NO: 189) (containing 71A, 73T and 78A), MA79b-grafted “humanized” antibody variant 28 (labeled as “huMA79b.v28”; SEQ ID NO: 208) (containing 71A, 73T and 78A) and MA79b-grafted “humanized” antibody variant 32 (labeled as “huMA79b.v32”; SEQ ID NO: 227) (containing 71A, 73T and 78A). Positions are numbered according to Kabat and hypervariable regions (HVRs) grafted from MA79b to the variable heavy subgroup III consensus framework are boxed.

FIG. 9 shows various HVR sequences of selected MA79b-grafted “humanized” antibody variants (SEQ ID NOs: 17-21) wherein each variant has a single amino acid change in a single HVR of the MA79b-grafted “humanized” antibody (HVR-L1 (SEQ ID NO: 131); HVR-L2 (SEQ ID NO: 132); HVR-L3 (SEQ ID NO: 133)). The sequences of the variable light and variable heavy chains outside of the shown single amino acid changes were identical to the huMA79b graft and are not shown. No changes were observed in HVR-H1 (SEQ ID NO: 134), HVR-H2 (SEQ ID NO: 135) or HVR-H3 (SEQ ID NO: 136) of the MA79b-grafted “humanized” antibody.

FIG. 10 shows various HVR sequences of selected MA79b-grafted “humanized” antibody variants (SEQ ID NOs: 22-106), including huMA79b L2-2 (also referred to herein as “L2”) an huMA79b H3-10 (also referred to herein as “H3”) wherein each variant has multiple amino acid changes in a single HVR region of the MA79b-grafted “humanized” antibody (HVR-L2 (SEQ ID NO: 132); HVR-L3 (SEQ ID NO: 133); HVR-H1 (SEQ ID NO: 134); portion of HVR-H3 (SEQ ID NO: 136) is shown in FIG. 10 as SEQ ID NO: 107). The sequences of the variable light and variable heavy chains outside of the shown amino acid changes were identical to the huMA79b graft and are not shown. No changes were observed in HVR-L1 (SEQ ID NO: 131) or HVR-H2 (SEQ ID NO: 135) of the MA79b-grafted “humanized” antibody.

FIG. 11 shows Biacore analysis of selected anti-CD79b antibodies, including murine CD79b antibody (labeled as “MA79b”), MA79b-grafted “humanized” antibody (labeled as “huMA79b graft”), and MA79b-grafted “humanized” antibody variants, including huMA79b L2-2 (52R, 53K, 55G, 56R; SEQ ID NO: 22), huMA79b H3-10 (981, 99R, 100L; SEQ ID NO: 94), huMA79b H1-6 (28P, 30T, 31R, 35N; SEQ ID NO: 57) and huMA79b L2/H3 (L2-2 and H3-10 mutations described below) to designated antigens, including the extracellular domain of human CD79b (huCD79b_(ecd)), the extracellular domain of human CD79b fused to Fc (huCD79b_(ecd)-Fc) and a 16 amino acid peptide containing the epitope for MA79b and chMA79b (SEQ ID NO: 16).

FIG. 12 shows Biacore analysis of selected anti-CD79b antibodies, including MA79b-grafted “humanized” antibody (labeled as “huMA79b graft”) and MA79b-grafted “humanized” antibody variants (labeled as 1-34 in the first column or as “all framework” in the first column) to the extracellular domain of human CD79b (huCD79b-ecd antigen). MA79b-grafted “humanized” antibody variants include an “all framework” variant where potentially important murine framework residues are present and variants (labeled 1-34) with combinations of framework mutations with or without HVR mutations in the variable light chain and variable heavy chain as designated. MA79b-grafted “humanized” antibody variant 17 (herein referred to as “huMA79b.v17”) is labeled as 17 in the first column, MA79b-grafted “humanized” antibody variant 18 (herein referred to as “huMA79b.v18”) is labeled as 18 in the first column, MA79b-grafted “humanized” antibody variant 28 (herein referred to as “huMA79b.v28”) is labeled as 28 in the first column and MA79b-grafted “humanized” antibody variant 32 (herein referred to as “huMA79b.v32”) is labeled as 32 in the first column. Bivalent binding fold is represented as the Kd of the particular MA79b-grafted “humanized” antibody variant (labeled as “Kd_(variant)”)/the Kd of the chimeric MA79b antibody (chMA79b) (labeled as “Kd_(chimera)”); values under the column labeled “bivalent binding fold” represents Kd_(variant)/Kd_(chimera). No detected binding is designated in the figure as “NDB”.

FIGS. 13A-13B (variable heavy (VH) consensus frameworks) and FIG. 14 (variable light (VL) consensus frameworks) depict exemplary acceptor human consensus framework sequences for use in practicing the instant invention with sequence identifiers as follows: (FIGS. 13A-13B) human VH subgroup I consensus framework minus Kabat CDRs (SEQ ID NO: 108), human VH subgroup I consensus framework minus extended hypervariable regions (SEQ ID NOs: 109-111), human VH subgroup II consensus framework minus Kabat CDRs (SEQ ID NO: 112), human VH subgroup II consensus framework minus extended hypervariable regions (SEQ ID NOs: 113-115), human VH subgroup III consensus framework minus Kabat CDRs (SEQ ID NO: 116), human VH subgroup III consensus framework minus extended hypervariable regions (SEQ ID NOs: 117-119), human VH acceptor framework minus Kabat CDRs (SEQ ID NO: 120), human VH acceptor framework minus extended hypervariable regions (SEQ ID NOs: 121-122), human VH acceptor 2 framework minus Kabat CDRs (SEQ ID NO: 123) and human VH acceptor 2 framework minus extended hypervariable regions (SEQ ID NOs: 124-26) and (FIG. 14) human VL kappa subgroup I consensus framework (SEQ ID NO: 127), human VL kappa subgroup II consensus framework (SEQ ID NO: 128), human kappa subgroup III consensus framework (SEQ ID NO: 129) and human kappa subgroup IV consensus framework (SEQ ID NO: 130).

FIG. 15A (light chain) and FIG. 15B (heavy chain) show amino acid sequences of an antibody of the invention (huMA79b.v17). FIG. 15A (light chain) and FIG. 15B (heavy chain) show amino acid sequences of the framework (FR), hypervariable region (HVR), first constant domain (CL or CH1) and Fc region (Fc) of one embodiment of an antibody of the invention (huMA79b.v17) (SEQ ID NOs: 152-159 (FIG. 15A) and SEQ ID NOs: 160-168 (FIG. 15B)). Full-length amino acid sequences (variable and constant regions) of the light and heavy chains of huMA79b.v17 are shown (SEQ ID NO: 303 (FIG. 15A) and 304 (FIG. 15B), respectively, with the constant domains underlined. Amino acid sequences of the variable domains are shown (SEQ ID NO: 169 (FIG. 15A for light chain) and SEQ ID NO: 170 (FIG. 15B for heavy chain)).

FIG. 16A (light chain) and FIG. 16B (heavy chain) show amino acid sequences of an antibody of the invention (huMA79b.v18). FIG. 16A (light chain) and FIG. 16B (heavy chain) show amino acid sequences of the framework (FR), hypervariable region (HVR), first constant domain (CL or CH1) and Fc region (Fc) of one embodiment of an antibody of the invention (huMA79b.v18) (SEQ ID NOs: 171-178 (FIG. 16A) and SEQ ID NOs: 179-187 (FIG. 16B)). Full-length amino acid sequences (variable and constant regions) of the light and heavy chains of huMA79b.v18 are shown (SEQ ID NO: 305 (FIG. 16A) and 306 (FIG. 16B), respectively, with the constant domains underlined. Amino acid sequences of the variable domains are shown (SEQ ID NO: 188 (FIG. 16A for light chain) and SEQ ID NO: 189 (FIG. 16B for heavy chain)).

FIG. 17A (light chain) and FIG. 17B (heavy chain) show amino acid sequences of an antibody of the invention (huMA79b.v28). FIG. 17A (light chain) and FIG. 17B (heavy chain) show amino acid sequences of the framework (FR), hypervariable region (HVR), first constant domain (CL or CH1) and Fc region (Fc) of one embodiment of an antibody of the invention (huMA79b.v28) (SEQ ID NOs: 190-197 (FIG. 17A) and SEQ ID NOs: 198-206 (FIG. 17B). Full-length amino acid sequences (variable and constant regions) of the light and heavy chains of huMA79b.v28 are shown (SEQ ID NO: 307 (FIG. 17A) and 308 (FIG. 17B), respectively, with the constant domains underlined. Amino acid sequences of the variable domains are shown (SEQ ID NO: 207 (FIGS. 7A-7B for light chain) and SEQ ID NO: 208 (FIGS. 8A-8B for heavy chain)).

FIG. 18A (light chain) and FIG. 18B (heavy chain) show amino acid sequences of an antibody of the invention (huMA79b.v32). FIG. 18A (light chain) and FIG. 18B (heavy chain) show amino acid sequences of the framework (FR), hypervariable region (HVR), first constant domain (CL or CH1) and Fc region (Fc) of one embodiment of an antibody of the invention (huMA79b.v32) (SEQ ID NOs: 209-216 (FIG. 18A) and SEQ ID NOs: 217-225 (FIG. 18B). Full-length amino acid sequences (variable and constant regions) of the light and heavy chains of huMA79b.v32 are shown (SEQ ID NO: 309 (FIG. 18A) and 310 (FIG. 18B), respectively, with the constant domains underlined. Amino acid sequences of the variable domains are shown (SEQ ID NO: 226 (FIG. 18A for light chain) and SEQ ID NO: 227 (FIG. 18B for heavy chain)).

FIG. 19 shows the alignment of the amino acid sequences of CD79b from human (SEQ ID NO: 2), cynomolgus monkey (cyno) (SEQ ID NO: 7) and mouse (SEQ ID NO: 8). Human and cyno-CD79b have 85% amino acid identity. The signal sequence, test peptide (the 11 amino acid epitope for MA79b , chMA79b and anti-cyno CD79b antibody described in Example 1; ARSEDRYRNPK (SEQ ID NO: 12)), transmembrane (TM) domain and immunoreceptor tyrosine-based activation motif (ITAM) domain are indicated. The region boxed is the region of CD79b that is absent in the splice variant of CD79b (described in Example 1).

FIG. 20 is a graph of inhibition of in vivo tumor growth in a BJAB-luciferase xenograft model which shows that administration of anti-CD79b antibodies ((a) chMA79b-SMCC-DM1, drug load was approximately 2.9 (Table 9) and (b) huMA79b L2/H3-SMCC-DM1, drug load was approximately 2.4 (Table 9)) to SCID mice having human B cell tumors significantly inhibited tumor growth. Controls included Herceptin® (trastuzumab)-SMCC-DM1 (anti-HER2-SMCC-DM1).

FIG. 21A is a graph of inhibition of in vivo tumor growth in a Granta-519 (Human Mantle Cell Lymphoma) xenograft model which shows that administration of anti-CD79b antibodies ((a) chMA79b-SMCC-DM1, drug load was approximately 3.6 (Table 10), (b) huMA79b.v17-SMCC-DM1, drug load was approximately 3.4 (Table 10), (c) huMA79b.v28-SMCC-DM1, drug load was approximately 3.3 or 3.4 (Table 10), (d) huMA79b.v18-SMCC-DM1, drug load was approximately 3.4 (Table 10) and (e) huMA79b.v32-SMCC-DM1, drug load was approximately 2.9 (Table 10)) to SCID mice having human B cell tumors significantly inhibited tumor growth. Controls included Herceptin® (trastuzumab)-SMCC-DM1 (anti-HER2-SMCC-DM1). FIG. 21B is a plot of percent weight change in the mice from the Granta-519 xenograft study (FIG. 21A and Table 10) showing that there was no significant change in weight during the first 7 days of the study. “hu” refers to humanized antibody and “ch” refers to chimeric antibody.

FIG. 22 shows depictions of cysteine engineered anti-CD79b antibody drug conjugates (ADC) where a drug moiety is attached to an engineered cysteine group in: the light chain (LC-ADC); the heavy chain (HC-ADC); and the Fc region (Fc-ADC).

FIG. 23 shows the steps of: (i) reducing cysteine disulfide adducts and interchain and intrachain disulfides in a cysteine engineered anti-CD79b antibody (ThioMab) with reducing agent TCEP (tris(2-carboxyethyl)phosphine hydrochloride); (ii) partially oxidizing, i.e. reoxidation to reform interchain and intrachain disulfides, with dhAA (dehydroascorbic acid); and (iii) conjugation of the reoxidized antibody with a drug-linker intermediate to form a cysteine anti-CD79b drug conjugate (ADC).

FIGS. 24A-24B show (FIG. 24A) the light chain sequence (SEQ ID NO: 229) and (FIG. 24B) heavy chain sequence (SEQ ID NO: 228) of humanized cysteine engineered anti-CD79b antibody (thio-huMA79b.v17-HC-A118C), in which an alanine at EU position 118 (sequential position alanine 118; Kabat position 114) of the heavy chain was altered to a cysteine. A drug moiety may be attached to the engineered cysteine group in the heavy chain. In each figure, the altered amino acid is shown in bold text with double underlining. Single underlining indicates constant regions. Variable regions are regions not underlined. Fc region is marked by italic. “Thio” refers to cysteine-engineered antibody while “hu” refers to humanized antibody.

FIGS. 25A-25B show (FIG. 25A) the light chain sequence (SEQ ID NO: 231) and (FIG. 25B) heavy chain sequence (SEQ ID NO: 230) of humanized cysteine engineered anti-CD79b antibody (thio-huMA79b.v18-HC-A118C), in which an alanine at EU position 118 (sequential position alanine 118; Kabat position 114) of the heavy chain was altered to a cysteine. A drug moiety may be attached to the engineered cysteine group in the heavy chain. In each figure, the altered amino acid is shown in bold text with double underlining. Single underlining indicates constant regions. Variable regions are regions not underlined. Fc region is marked by italic. “Thio” refers to cysteine-engineered antibody while “hu” refers to humanized antibody.

FIGS. 26A-26B show (FIG. 26A) the light chain sequence (SEQ ID NO: 233) and (FIG. 26B) heavy chain sequence (SEQ ID NO: 232) of humanized cysteine engineered anti-CD79b antibody (thio-huMA79b.v28-HC-A118C), in which an alanine at EU position 118 (sequential position alanine 118; Kabat position 114) of the heavy chain was altered to a cysteine. A drug moiety may be attached to the engineered cysteine group in the heavy chain. In each figure, the altered amino acid is shown in bold text with double underlining. Single underlining indicates constant regions. Variable regions are regions not underlined. Fc region is marked by italic. “Thio” refers to cysteine-engineered antibody while “hu” refers to humanized antibody.

FIGS. 27A-27B shows (FIG. 27A) the light chain sequence (SEQ ID NO: 235) and (FIG. 27B) heavy chain sequence (SEQ ID NO: 234) of cysteine engineered anti-CD79b antibody (thio-MA79b-LC-V205C), a valine at Kabat position 205 (sequential position Valine 209) of the light chain was altered to a cysteine. A drug moiety may be attached to the engineered cysteine group in the light chain. In each figure, the altered amino acid is shown in bold text with double underlining. Single underlining indicates constant regions. Variable regions are regions not underlined. Fc region is marked by italic. “Thio” refers to cysteine-engineered antibody.

FIGS. 28A-28B show (FIG. 28A) the light chain sequence (SEQ ID NO: 237) and (FIG. 28B) heavy chain sequence (SEQ ID NO: 236) of cysteine engineered anti-CD79b antibody (thio-MA79b-HC-A118C), in which an alanine at EU position 118 (sequential position alanine 118; Kabat position 114) of the heavy chain was altered to a cysteine. A drug moiety may be attached to the engineered cysteine group in the heavy chain. In each figure, the altered amino acid is shown in bold text with double underlining. Single underlining indicates constant regions. Variable regions are regions not underlined. Fc region is marked by italic. “Thio” refers to cysteine-engineered antibody.

FIGS. 29A-29B are FACS plots indicating that binding of anti-CD79b thioMAb drug conjugates (TDCs) of the invention bind to CD79b expressed on the surface of BJAB-luciferase cells is similar for conjugated (FIG. 29A) LC (V205C) thioMAb variants and (FIG. 29B) HC (A118C) thioMAb variants of chMA79b with MMAF. Detection was with MS anti-humanIgG-PE. “Thio” refers to cysteine-engineered antibody.

FIGS. 30A-30D are FACS plots indicating that binding of anti-CD79b thioMAb drug conjugates (TDCs) of the invention bind to CD79b expressed on the surface of BJAB-luciferase cells is similar for (FIG. 30A) naked (unconjugated) HC (A118C) thioMAb variants of huMA79b.v18 and conjugated HC (A118C) thioMAb variants of huMA79b.v18 with the different drug conjugates shown ((FIG. 30B) MMAF, (FIG. 30C) MMAE and (FIG. 30D) DM1)). Detection was with MS anti-humanIgG-PE. “Thio” refers to cysteine-engineered antibody while “hu” refers to humanized antibody.

FIGS. 31A-31D are FACS plots indicating that binding of anti-CD79b thioMAb drug conjugates (TDCs) of the invention bind to CD79b expressed on the surface of BJAB-luciferase cells is similar for (FIG. 31A) naked (unconjugated) HC (A118C) thioMAb variants of huMA79b.v28 and conjugated HC (A118C) thioMAb variants of huMA79b.v28 with the different drug conjugates shown ((FIG. 31B) MMAE, (FIG. 31C) DM1 and (FIG. 31D) MMAF)). Detection was with MS anti-human-PE. “Thio” refers to cysteine-engineered antibody while “hu” refers to humanized antibody.

FIGS. 32A-32D are FACS plots indicating that binding of anti-cynoCD79b thioMAb drug conjugates (TDCs) of the invention bind to CD79b expressed on the surface of BJAB-cells expressing cynoCD79b is similar for (FIG. 32A) naked (unconjugated) HC(A118C) thioMAb variants of anti-cynoCD79b (ch10D10) and conjugated HC(A118C) thioMAb variants of anti-cynoCD79b (ch10D10) with the different drug conjugates shown ((FIG. 32B) MMAE, (FIG. 32C) DM1 and (FIG. 32D) MMAF)). Detection was with MS anti-hulgG-PE. “Thio” refers to cysteine-engineered antibody.

FIG. 33A is a graph of inhibition of in vivo tumor growth in a Granta-519 (Human Mantle Cell Lymphoma) xenograft model which shows that administration of anti-CD79b TDCs which varied by position of the engineered cysteine (LC (V205C) or HC (A118C)) and/or different drug doses to SCID mice having human B cell tumors significantly inhibited tumor growth. Xenograft models treated with thio chMA79b-HC(A118C)-MC-MMAF, drug load was approximately 1.9 (Table 11) or thio chMA79b-LC(V205C)-MC-MMAF, drug load was approximately 1.8 (Table 11) showed a significant inhibition of tumor growth during the study. Controls included hu-anti-HER2-MC-MMAF and thio hu-anti-HER2-HC(A118C)-MC-MMAF and chMA79b-MC-MMAF. FIG. 33B is a plot of percent weight change in the mice from the Granta-519 xenograft study (FIG. 33A and Table 11) showing that there was no significant change in weight during the first 14 days of the study. “Thio” refers to cysteine-engineered antibody while “hu” refers to humanized antibody.

FIG. 34A is a graph of inhibition of in vivo tumor growth in a BJAB-luciferase (Burkitt's Lymphoma) xenograft model which shows that administration of anti-CD79b TDCs conjugated to different linker drug moieties (MCvcPAB-MMAE, BMPEO-DM1 or MC-MMAF) to SCID mice having human B cell tumors, significantly inhibited tumor growth. Xenograft models treated with thio huMA79b.v28-HC(A118C)-MCvcPAB-MMAE, drug load was approximately 1.87 (Table 12), thio huMA79b.v28-HC(A118C)-BMPEO-DM1, drug load was approximately 1.85 (Table 12), or thio huMA79b.v28-HC(A118C)-MC-MMAF, drug load was approximately 1.95 (Table 12), showed a significant inhibition of tumor growth during the study. Controls included anti-HER2 controls (thio hu-anti-HER2-HC(A118C)-BMPEO-DM1, thio hu-anti-HER2-HC(A118C)-MC-MMAF, thio hu-anti-HER2-HC(A118C)-MCvcPAB-MMAE), huMA79b.v28 controls (huMA79b.v28-SMCC-DM1 and thio huMA79b.v28-HC(A118C)) and anti-CD22 controls (thio hu-anti-CD22(10F4v3)-HC(A118C)-MC-MMAF). FIG. 34B is a plot of percent weight change in the mice from the BJAB-luciferase xenograft study (FIG. 34A and Table 12) showing that there was no significant change in weight during the first 7 days of the study. “Thio” refers to cysteine-engineered antibody while “hu” refers to humanized antibody.

FIG. 35A is a graph of inhibition of in vivo tumor growth in a WSU-DLCL2 (Diffuse Large Cell Lymphoma) xenograft model which shows that administration of anti-CD79b TDCs conjugated to different linker drug moieties (MCvcPAB-MMAE, BMPEO-DM1 or MC-MMAF) to SCID mice having human B cell tumors significantly inhibited tumor growth. Xenograft models treated with thio huMA79b.v28-HC(A118C)-MCvcPAB-MMAE, drug load was approximately 1.87 (Table 13), thio huMA79b.v28-HC(A118C)-BMPEO-DM1, drug load was approximately 1.85 (Table 13), or thio huMA79b.v28-HC(A118C)-MC-MMAF, drug load was approximately 1.95 (Table 13), showed a significant inhibition of tumor growth during the study. Controls included anti-HER2 controls (thio hu-anti-HER2-HC(A118C)-BMPEO-DM1, thio hu-anti-HER2-HC(A118C)-MC-MMAF, thio hu-anti-HER2-HC(A118C)-MCvcPAB-MMAE), huMA79b.v28 controls (huMA79b.v28-SMCC-DM1 and thio huMA79b.v28-HC(A118C)) and anti-CD22 controls (thio hu-anti-CD22(10F4v3)-HC(A118C)-MC-MMAF). FIG. 35B is a plot of percent weight change in the mice from the WSU-DLCL2 xenograft study (FIG. 35A and Table 13) showing that there was no significant change in weight during the first 7 days of the study. “Thio” refers to cysteine-engineered antibody while “hu” refers to humanized antibody.

FIG. 36 is a graph of inhibition of in vivo tumor growth in a DOHH2 (Follicular Lymphoma) xenograft model which shows that administration of anti-CD79b TDCs conjugated to different linker drug moieties (BMPEO-DM1, MC-MMAF or MCvcPAB-MMAE) to SCID mice having human B cell tumors significantly inhibited tumor growth. Xenograft models treated with thio huMA79b.v28-BMPEO-DM1 (drug load was approximately 1.85 (Table 14)), thio huMA79b.v28-MC-MMAF (drug load was approximately 1.95 (Table 14)) or thio MA79b-HC(A118C)-MCvcPAB-MMAE (drug load was approximately 1.87 (Table 14)) showed a significant inhibition of tumor growth during the study. Controls included anti-HER2 controls (thio hu-anti-HER2-HC(A118C)-BMPEO-DM1, thio hu-anti-HER2-HC(A118C)-MC-MMAF, thio hu-anti-HER2-HC(A118C)-MCvcPAB-MMAE), huMA79b.v28 controls (huMA79b.v28-SMCC-DM1 and thio huMA79b.v28-HC(A118C)) and anti-CD22 controls (thio hu-anti-CD22(10F4v3)-HC(A118C)-MC-MMAF). “Thio” refers to cysteine-engineered antibody while “hu” refers to humanized antibody.

FIG. 37 is a graph of inhibition of in vivo tumor growth in a BJAB-luciferase (Burkitt's Lymphoma) xenograft model which shows that administration of anti-CD79b TDCs conjugated to different linker drug moieties (MCvcPAB-MMAE, BMPEO-DM1 or MC-MMAF) and/or administered at different doses as shown to SCID mice having human B cell tumors, significantly inhibited tumor growth. Xenograft models treated with thio huMA79b.v28-HC(A118C)-BMPEO-DM1, drug load was approximately 1.85 (Table 15), thio huMA79b.v28-HC(A118C)-MCvcPAB-MMAE, drug load was approximately 1.9 (Table 15), or thio huMA79b.v28-HC(A118C)-MC-MMAF, drug load was approximately 1.9 (Table 15) showed a significant inhibition of tumor growth during the study. Controls included vehicle (buffer alone), anti-HER2 controls (thio hu-anti-HER2-HC(A118C)-BMPEO-DM1, thio hu-anti-HER2-HC(A118C)-MC-MMAF, thio hu-anti-HER2-HC(A118C)-MCvcPAB-MMAE), huMA79b.v28 controls (thio huMA79b.v28-HC(A118C)) and anti-CD22 controls (thio hu-anti-CD22(10F4v3)-HC(A118C)-MC-MMAF). “Thio” refers to cysteine-engineered antibody while “hu” refers to humanized antibody.

FIG. 38A is a graph of inhibition of in vivo tumor growth in a Granta-619 (Human Mantle Cell Lymphoma) xenograft model which shows that administration of anti-CD79b TDCs conjugated to different linker drug moieties (BMPEO-DM1 or MC-MMAF) and/or administered at different doses as shown to SCID mice having human B cell tumors, significantly inhibited tumor growth. Xenograft models treated with thio huMA79b.v28-HC(A118C)-BMPEO-DM1, drug load was approximately 1.85 (Table 16), or thio huMA79b.v28-HC(A118C)-MC-MMAF, drug load was approximately 1.95 (Table 16), showed significant inhibition of tumor growth during the study. Controls included anti-HER2 controls (thio hu-anti-HER2-HC(A118C)-BMPEO-DM1, thio hu-anti-HER2-HC(A118C)-MC-MMAF). FIG. 38B is a plot of percent weight change in the mice from the Granta-519 xenograft study (FIG. 38A and Table 16) showing that there was no significant change in weight during the first 14 days of the study. “Thio” refers to cysteine-engineered antibody while “hu” refers to humanized antibody.

FIG. 39 is a graph of inhibition of in vivo tumor growth in a WSU-DLCL2 (Diffuse Large Cell Lymphoma) xenograft model which shows that administration of anti-CD79b TDCs conjugated to different linker drug moieties (BMPEO-DM1, MC-MMAF or MCvcPAB-MMAE) and/or administered at different doses as shown to SCID mice having human B cell tumors, significantly inhibited tumor growth. Xenograft models treated with thio huMA79b.v28-HC(A118C)-BMPEO-DM1, drug load was approximately 1.85 (Table 17), thio huMA79b.v28-HC(A118C)-MC-MMAF, drug load was approximately 1.9 (Table 17) or thio huMA79b.v28-HC(A118C)-MCvcPAB-MMAE, drug load was approximately 1.9 (Table 17), showed significant inhibition of tumor growth during the study. Controls included vehicle (buffer alone) and anti-HER2 controls (thio hu-anti-HER2-HC(A118C)-BMPEO-DM1, thio hu-anti-HER2-HC(A118C)-MC-MMAF, thio hu-anti-HER2-HC(A118C)-MCvcPAB-MMAE). “Thio” refers to cysteine-engineered antibody while “hu” refers to humanized antibody.

FIG. 40 is a graph of inhibition of in vivo tumor growth in a Granta-519 (Human Mantle Cell Lymphoma) xenograft model which shows that administration of anti-CD79b TDCs conjugated to different linker drug moieties (BMPEO-DM1 or MCvcPAB-MMAE) and/or administered at different doses as shown to SCID mice having human B cell tumors, significantly inhibited tumor growth. Xenograft models treated with thio huMA79b.v28-HC(A118C)-BMPEO-DM1, drug load was approximately 1.85 (Table 18) or thio huMA79b.v28-HC(A118C)-MCvcPAB-MMAE, drug load was approximately 1.87 (Table 18), showed significant inhibition of tumor growth during the study. Controls included anti-HER2 controls (thio hu-anti-HER2-HC(A118C)-BMPEO-DM1, thio hu-anti-HER2-HC(A118C)-MCvcPAB-MMAE). “Thio” refers to cysteine-engineered antibody while “hu” refers to humanized antibody.

FIGS. 41A-41C show a plot of in vitro cell proliferation assay results with (FIG. 41A) BJAB, (FIG. 41B) Granta-519 or (FIG. 41C) WSU-DLCL2 tumor cells, treated with varying concentrations .001 to 10000 ng of TDC per ml, including: (1) control thio hu anti-gD-HC(A118C)-MCvcPAB-MMAE, 2.0 MMAE/Ab loading, (2) control thio hu anti-gD-HC(A118C)-MC-MMAF, 2.1 MMAF/Ab loading, (3) control thio hu anti-gD-HC(A118C)-BMPEO-DM1, 2.1 DM1/Ab loading, (4) thio huMA79b.v18-HC(A118C)-MC-MMAF, 1.91 MMAF/Ab loading, (5) thio huMA79b.v18-HC(A118C)-BMPEO-DM1, 1.8 DM1/Ab loading, and (6) thio huMA79b.v28-HC(A118C)-MCvcPAB-MMAE, 2.0 MMAE/Ab loading. “Thio” refers to cysteine-engineered antibody while “hu” refers to humanized antibody. “gD” refers to glycoprotein D.

FIG. 42 shows the nucleotide sequence (SEQ ID NO: 238) of PRO283627 cDNA, wherein SEQ ID NO: 235 is a clone designated as “DNA548455” (also referred herein as “cyno CD79b”). The nucleotide sequence encodes for cynomolgus CD79b with the start and stop codons shown in bold and underlined

FIG. 43 shows the amino acid sequence (SEQ ID NO: 239) derived from the coding sequence of SEQ ID NO: 235 shown in FIG. 42.

FIG. 44 shows the nucleotide sequence (SEQ ID NO: 240) of the light chain of anti-cyno CD79b antibody (ch10D10). The nucleotide sequence encodes for the light chain of anti-cyno CD79b antibody (ch10D10) with the start and stop codons shown in bold and underlined.

FIG. 45 shows the amino acid sequence (SEQ ID NO: 241), missing the first 18 amino acid signal sequence, derived from the coding sequence of SEQ ID NO: 240 shown in FIG. 44. Variable regions (SEQ ID NO: 302) are regions not underlined.

FIG. 46 shows the nucleotide sequence (SEQ ID NO: 242) of the heavy chain of anti-cyno CD79b antibody (ch10D10). The nucleotide sequence encodes for the heavy chain of anti-cyno CD79b antibody (ch10D10) with the start and stop codons shown in bold and underlined.

FIG. 47 shows the amino acid sequence (SEQ ID NO: 243), missing the first 18 amino acid signal sequence and the last lysine (K) prior to the stop codon, derived from the coding sequence of SEQ ID NO: 242 shown in FIG. 46. Variable regions (SEQ ID NO: 301) are regions not underlined.

FIGS. 48A-48B show (FIG. 48A) the light chain sequence (SEQ ID NO: 245) and (FIG. 48B) heavy chain sequence (SEQ ID NO: 244) of cysteine engineered anti-cyno CD79b antibody (Thio-anti-cynoCD79b-HC-A118C), in which an alanine at EU position 118 (sequential position alanine 118; Kabat position 114) of the heavy chain was altered to a cysteine. Amino acid D at EU position 6 (shaded in FIG. 48B) of the heavy chain may alternatively be E. A drug moiety may be attached to the engineered cysteine group in the heavy chain. In each figure, the altered amino acid is shown in bold text with double underlining. Single underlining indicates constant regions. Variable regions are regions not underlined. Fc region is marked by italic. “Thio” refers to cysteine-engineered antibody.

FIGS. 49A-49B show (FIG. 49A) the light chain sequence (SEQ ID NO: 300) and (FIG. 49B) heavy chain sequence (SEQ ID NO: 299) of cysteine engineered anti-cyno CD79b antibody (Thio-anti-cynoCD79b-LC-V205C), in which a valine at Kabat position 205 (sequential position Valine 209) of the light chain was altered to a cysteine. Amino acid D at EU position 6 (shaded in FIG. 49B) of the heavy chain may alternatively be E. A drug moiety may be attached to the engineered cysteine group in the heavy chain. In each figure, the altered amino acid is shown in bold text with double underlining. Single underlining indicates constant regions. Variable regions are regions not underlined. Fc region is marked by italic. “Thio” refers to cysteine-engineered antibody.

FIG. 50 is a graph of inhibition of in vivo tumor growth in a BJAB-cynoCD79b (BJAB cells expressing cynoCD79b) (Burkitt's Lymphoma) xenograft model which shows that administration of anti-CD79b TDCs conjugated to different linker drug moieties (BMPEO-DM1, MC-MMAF or MCvcPAB-MMAE) to SCID mice having human B cell tumors, significantly inhibited tumor growth. Xenograft models treated with thio huMA79b.v28-HC(A118C)-BMPEO-DM1, drug load was approximately 1.85 (Table 19), thio huMA79b.v28-HC(A118C)-MC-MMAF, drug load was approximately 1.9 (Table 19), or thio huMA79b.v28-HC(A118C)-MCvcPAB-MMAE, drug load was approximately 1.9 (Table 19), thio anti-cyno CD79b (ch10D10)-HC(A118C)-BMPEO-DM1, drug load was approximately 1.8 (Table 19), thio anti-cyno CD79b (ch10D10)-HC(A118C)-MC-MMAF, drug load was approximately 1.9 (Table 19) or thio anti-cyno CD79b (ch10D10)-HC(A118C)-MCvcPAB-MMAE, drug load was approximately 1.86 (Table 19), showed significant inhibition of tumor growth during the study. Controls included anti-HER2 controls (thio hu-anti-HER2-HC(A118C)-BMPEO-DM1, thio hu-anti-HER2-HC(A118C)-MCvcPAB-MMAE, thio hu-anti-HER2-HC(A118C)-MC-MMAF). “Thio” refers to cysteine-engineered antibody while “hu” refers to humanized antibody.

FIG. 51 is a graph of inhibition of in vivo tumor growth in a BJAB-cynoCD79b (BJAB cells expressing cynoCD79b) (Burkitt's Lymphoma) xenograft model which shows that administration of anti-CD79b TDCs with BMPEO-DM1 linker drug moiety administered at different doses as shown, to SCID mice having human B cell tumors, significantly inhibited tumor growth. Xenograft models treated with thio huMA79b.v28-HC(A118C)-BMPEO-DM1, drug load was approximately 1.85 (Table 20) or thio anti-cyno (ch10D10)-HC(A118C)-BMPEO-DM1, drug load was approximately 1.8 (Table 20), showed significant inhibition of tumor growth during the study. Controls included anti-HER2 controls (thio hu-anti-HER2-HC(A118C)-BMPEO-DM1) and huMA79b.v28 controls (thio huMA79b.v28-HC(A118C) and anti-cynoCD79b(chl0D10) controls (thio anti-cynoCD79b(ch10D10)-HC(A118C)). “Thio” refers to cysteine-engineered antibody while “hu” refers to humanized antibody.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

The invention provides methods, compositions, kits and articles of manufacture for identifying compositions useful for the treatment of hematopoietic tumor in mammals and to methods of using those compositions of matter for the same.

Details of these methods, compositions, kits and articles of manufacture are provided herein.

I. General Techniques

The practice of the present invention will employ, unless otherwise indicated, conventional techniques of molecular biology (including recombinant techniques), microbiology, cell biology, biochemistry, and immunology, which are within the skill of the art. Such techniques are explained fully in the literature, such as, “Molecular Cloning: A Laboratory Manual”, second edition (Sambrook et al., 1989); “Oligonucleotide Synthesis” (M. J. Gait, ed., 1984); “Animal Cell Culture” (R. I. Freshney, ed., 1987); “Methods in Enzymology” (Academic Press, Inc.); “Current Protocols in Molecular Biology” (F. M. Ausubel et al., eds., 1987, and periodic updates); “PCR: The Polymerase Chain Reaction”, (Mullis et al., ed., 1994); “A Practical Guide to Molecular Cloning” (Perbal Bernard V., 1988); “Phage Display: A Laboratory Manual” (Barbas et al., 2001).

II. Definitions

For purposes of interpreting this specification, the following definitions will apply and whenever appropriate, terms used in the singular will also include the plural and vice versa. In the event that any definition set forth conflicts with any document incorporated herein by reference, the definition set forth below shall control.

A “B-cell surface marker” or “B-cell surface antigen” herein is an antigen expressed on the surface of a B cell that can be targeted with an antagonist that binds thereto, including but not limited to, antibodies to a B-cell surface antigen or a soluble form a B-cell surface antigen capable of antagonizing binding of a ligand to the naturally occurring B-cell antigen. Exemplary B-cell surface markers include the CD10, CD19, CD20, CD21, CD22, CD23, CD24, CD37, CD40, CD53, CD72, CD73, CD74, CDw75, CDw76, CD77, CDw78, CD79a, CD79b, CD80, CD81, CD82, CD83, CDw84, CD85 and CD86 leukocyte surface markers (for descriptions, see The Leukocyte Antigen Facts Book, 2′ Edition. 1997, ed. Barclay et al. Academic Press, Harcourt Brace & Co., New York). Other B-cell surface markers include RP105, FcRH2, B-cell CR2, CCR6, P2X5, HLA-DOB, CXCRS, FCER2, BR3, BAFF, BLyS, Btig, NAG14, SLGC16270, FcRH1, IRTA2, ATWD578, FcRH3, IRTA1, FcRH6, BCMA, and 239287. The B-cell surface marker of particular interest is preferentially expressed on B cells compared to other non-B-cell tissues of a mammal and may be expressed on both precursor B cells and mature B cells.

The term “CD79b”, as used herein, refers to any native CD79b from any vertebrate source, including mammals such as primates (e.g. humans, cynomolgus monkey (cyno)) and rodents (.e.g., mice and rats), unless otherwise indicated. Human CD79b is also referred herein to as “PRO36249” (SEQ ID NO: 2) and encoded by the nucleotide sequence (SEQ ID NO: 1) also referred herein to as “DNA225786”. Cynomologus CD79b is also referred herein to as “cyno CD79b” or “PRO283627” (SEQ ID NO: 239) and encoded by the nucleotide sequence (SEQ ID NO: 238) also referred herein to as “DNA548455”. The term “CD79b” encompasses “full-length,” unprocessed CD79b as well as any form of CD79b that results from processing in the cell. The term also encompasses naturally occurring variants of CD79b, e.g., splice variants, allelic variants and isoforms. The CD79b polypeptides described herein may be isolated from a variety of sources, such as from human tissue types or from another source, or prepared by recombinant or synthetic methods. A “native sequence CD79b polypeptide” comprises a polypeptide having the same amino acid sequence as the corresponding CD79b polypeptide derived from nature. Such native sequence CD79b polypeptides can be isolated from nature or can be produced by recombinant or synthetic means. The term “native sequence CD79b polypeptide” specifically encompasses naturally-occurring truncated or secreted forms of the specific CD79b polypeptide (e.g., an extracellular domain sequence), naturally-occurring variant forms (e.g., alternatively spliced forms) and naturally-occurring allelic variants of the polypeptide. In certain embodiments of the invention, the native sequence CD79b polypeptides disclosed herein are mature or full-length native sequence polypeptides comprising the full-length amino acids sequences shown in the accompanying figures. Start and stop codons (if indicated) are shown in bold font and underlined in the figures. Nucleic acid residues indicated as “N” in the accompanying figures are any nucleic acid residue. However, while the CD79b polypeptides disclosed in the accompanying figures are shown to begin with methionine residues designated herein as amino acid position 1 in the figures, it is conceivable and possible that other methionine residues located either upstream or downstream from the amino acid position 1 in the figures may be employed as the starting amino acid residue for the CD79b polypeptides.

“MA79b” or “murine CD79b antibody” or “murine anti-CD79b antibody” is used herein to specifically refer to murine anti-CD79b monoclonal antibody wherein the murine anti-CD79b monoclonal antibody comprises the light chain variable domain of SEQ ID NO: 10 (FIGS. 7A-7B) and the heavy chain variable domain of SEQ ID NO: 14 (FIGS. 8A-8B). Murine anti-CD79b monoclonal antibody may be purchased from commercial sources such as Biomeda (anti-human CD79b antibody; Foster City, CA), BDbioscience (anti-human CD79b antibody; San Diego, Calif.) or Ancell (anti-human CD79b antibody; Bayport, Minn.) or generated from hybridoma clone 3A2-2E7 American Type Culture Collection (ATCC) deposit designation number HB11413, deposited with the ATCC on July 20, 1993.

“chMA79b” or “chimeric MA79b antibody” is used herein to specifically refer to chimeric anti-human CD79b antibody (as previously described in U.S. application Ser. No. 11/462,336, filed Aug. 3, 2006) wherein the chimeric anti-CD79b antibody comprises the light chain of SEQ ID NO: 4 (FIG. 4). The light chain of SEQ ID NO: 4 further comprises the variable domain of SEQ ID NO: 10 (FIGS. 7A-7B) and the light chain constant domain of human IgG1. The chimeric anti-CD79b antibody further comprises the heavy chain of SEQ ID NO: 6 (FIG. 6). The heavy chain of SEQ ID NO: 6 further comprises the variable domain of SEQ ID NO: 14 (FIGS. 8A-8B) and the heavy chain constant domain of human IgG1.

“anti-cynoCD79b” or “anti-cyno CD79b” is used herein to refer to antibodies that binds to cyno CD79b (SEQ ID NO: 239 of FIG. 43) (as previously described in U.S. application Ser. No. 11/462,336, filed Aug. 3, 2006). “anti-cynoCD79b(ch10D10)” or “ch10D10” is used herein to refer to chimeric anti-cynoCD79b (as previously described in U.S. application Ser. No. 11/462,336, filed Aug. 3, 2006) which binds to cynoCD79b (SEQ ID NO: 239 of FIG. 43). Anti-cynoCD79b (ch10D10) or ch10D10 is chimeric anti-cynoCD79b antibody which comprises the light chain of SEQ ID NO: 241 (FIG. 45). Anti-cynoCD79b (ch10D10) or ch10D10 further comprises the heavy chain of SEQ ID NO: 243 (FIG. 47).

“MA79b-graft” or “MA79b-grafted ‘humanized’ antibody” or “huMA79b graft” is used herein to specifically refer to the graft generated by grafting the hypervariable regions from murine anti-CD79b antibody (MA79b) into the acceptor human consensus VL kappa I (huKI) and human subgroup III consensus VH (huIII) with R71A, N73T and L78A (Carter et al., Proc. Natl. Acad. Sci. USA, 89:4285 (1992)) (See Example 1A and FIGS. 7A-7B (SEQ ID NO: 11) and FIGS. 8A-8B (SEQ ID NO: 15)).

A “modification” of an amino acid residue/position, as used herein, refers to a change of a primary amino acid sequence as compared to a starting amino acid sequence, wherein the change results from a sequence alteration involving said amino acid residue/positions. For example, typical modifications include substitution of the residue (or at said position) with another amino acid (e.g., a conservative or non-conservative substitution), insertion of one or more (generally fewer than 5 or 3) amino acids adjacent to said residue/position, and deletion of said residue/position. An “amino acid substitution”, or variation thereof, refers to the replacement of an existing amino acid residue in a predetermined (starting) amino acid sequence with a different amino acid residue. Generally and preferably, the modification results in alteration in at least one physicobiochemical activity of the variant polypeptide compared to a polypeptide comprising the starting (or “wild type”) amino acid sequence. For example, in the case of an antibody, a physicobiochemical activity that is altered can be binding affinity, binding capability and/or binding effect upon a target molecule.

The term “antibody” is used in the broadest sense and specifically covers, for example, single anti-CD79b monoclonal antibodies (including agonist, antagonist, neutralizing antibodies, full length or intact monoclonal antibodies), anti-CD79b antibody compositions with polyepitopic specificity, polyclonal antibodies, multivalent antibodies, multispecific antibodies (e.g., bispecific antibodies so long as they exhibit the desired biological activity), formed from at least two intact antibodies, single chain anti-CD79b antibodies, and fragments of anti-CD79b antibodies (see below), including Fab, Fab′, F(ab′)₂ and Fv fragments, diabodies, single domain antibodies (sdAbs), as long as they exhibit the desired biological or immunological activity. The term “immunoglobulin” (Ig) is used interchangeable with antibody herein. An antibody can be human, humanized and/or affinity matured.

The term “anti-CD79b antibody” or “an antibody that binds to CD79b” refers to an antibody that is capable of binding CD79b with sufficient affinity such that the antibody is useful as a diagnostic and/or therapeutic agent in targeting CD79b. Preferably, the extent of binding of an anti-CD79b antibody to an unrelated, non-CD79b protein is less than about 10% of the binding of the antibody to CD79b as measured, e.g., by a radioimmunoassay (RIA). In certain embodiments, an antibody that binds to CD79b has a dissociation constant (Kd) of ≤1 μM, ≤100 nM, ≤10 nM, ≤1 nM, or ≤0.1 nM. In certain embodiments, anti-CD79b antibody binds to an epitope of CD79b that is conserved among CD79b from different species.

An “isolated antibody” is one which has been identified and separated and/or recovered from a component of its natural environment. Contaminant components of its natural environment are materials which would interfere with therapeutic uses for the antibody, and may include enzymes, hormones, and other proteinaceous or nonproteinaceous solutes. In preferred embodiments, the antibody will be purified (1) to greater than 95% by weight of antibody as determined by the Lowry method, and most preferably more than 99% by weight, (2) to a degree sufficient to obtain at least 15 residues of N-terminal or internal amino acid sequence by use of a spinning cup sequenator, or (3) to homogeneity by SDS-PAGE under reducing or nonreducing conditions using Coomassie blue or, preferably, silver stain. Isolated antibody includes the antibody in situ within recombinant cells since at least one component of the antibody's natural environment will not be present. Ordinarily, however, isolated antibody will be prepared by at least one purification step.

The basic 4-chain antibody unit is a heterotetrameric glycoprotein composed of two identical light (L) chains and two identical heavy (H) chains (an IgM antibody consists of 5 of the basic heterotetramer unit along with an additional polypeptide called J chain, and therefore contain 10 antigen binding sites, while secreted IgA antibodies can polymerize to form polyvalent assemblages comprising 2-5 of the basic 4-chain units along with J chain). In the case of IgGs, the 4-chain unit is generally about 150,000 daltons. Each L chain is linked to a H chain by one covalent disulfide bond, while the two H chains are linked to each other by one or more disulfide bonds depending on the H chain isotype. Each H and L chain also has regularly spaced intrachain disulfide bridges. Each H chain has at the N-terminus, a variable domain (V_(H)) followed by three constant domains (C_(H)) for each of the α and γ chains and four C_(H) domains for _(l)a and E isotypes. Each L chain has at the N-terminus, a variable domain (V_(L)) followed by a constant domain (C_(L)) at its other end. The V_(L) is aligned with the V_(H) and the C_(L) is aligned with the first constant domain of the heavy chain (C_(H)1). Particular amino acid residues are believed to form an interface between the light chain and heavy chain variable domains. The pairing of a V_(H) and V_(L) together forms a single antigen-binding site. For the structure and properties of the different classes of antibodies, see, e.g., Basic and Clinical Immunology, 8th edition, Daniel P. Stites, Abba I. Ten and Tristram G. Parslow (eds.), Appleton & Lange, Norwalk, Conn., 1994, page 71 and Chapter 6.

The L chain from any vertebrate species can be assigned to one of two clearly distinct types, called kappa and lambda, based on the amino acid sequences of their constant domains. Depending on the amino acid sequence of the constant domain of their heavy chains (C_(H)), immunoglobulins can be assigned to different classes or isotypes. There are five classes of immunoglobulins: IgA, IgD, IgE, IgG, and IgM, having heavy chains designated α, δ, ε, γ, and μ, respectively. The y and a classes are further divided into subclasses on the basis of relatively minor differences in CH sequence and function, e.g., humans express the following subclasses: IgG1, IgG2, IgG3, IgG4, IgA1, and IgA2.

The “variable region” or “variable domain” of an antibody refers to the amino-terminal domains of the heavy or light chain of the antibody. The variable domain of the heavy chain may be referred to as “VH.” The variable domain of the light chain may be referred to as “VL.” These domains are generally the most variable parts of an antibody and contain the antigen-binding sites.

The term “variable” refers to the fact that certain segments of the variable domains differ extensively in sequence among antibodies. The V domain mediates antigen binding and defines specificity of a particular antibody for its particular antigen. However, the variability is not evenly distributed across the 110-amino acid span of the variable domains. Instead, the V regions consist of relatively invariant stretches called framework regions (FRs) of 15-30 amino acids separated by shorter regions of extreme variability called “hypervariable regions” that are each 9-12 amino acids long. The variable domains of native heavy and light chains each comprise four FRs, largely adopting a 0-sheet configuration, connected by three hypervariable regions, which form loops connecting, and in some cases forming part of, the 0-sheet structure. The hypervariable regions in each chain are held together in close proximity by the FRs and, with the hypervariable regions from the other chain, contribute to the formation of the antigen-binding site of antibodies (see Kabat et al., Sequences of Proteins of Immunological Interest, 5th Ed. Public Health Service, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, Md. (1991)). The constant domains are not involved directly in binding an antibody to an antigen, but exhibit various effector functions, such as participation of the antibody in antibody dependent cellular cytotoxicity (ADCC).

An “intact” antibody is one which comprises an antigen-binding site as well as a C_(L) and at least heavy chain constant domains, C_(H)1, C_(H)2 and C_(H)3. The constant domains may be native sequence constant domains (e.g. human native sequence constant domains) or amino acid sequence variant thereof. Preferably, the intact antibody has one or more effector functions.

A “naked antibody” for the purposes herein is an antibody that is not conjugated to a cytotoxic moiety or radiolabel.

“Antibody fragments” comprise a portion of an intact antibody, preferably the antigen binding or variable region of the intact antibody. Examples of antibody fragments include Fab, Fab′, F(ab′)₂, and Fv fragments; diabodies; linear antibodies (see U.S. Pat. No. 5,641,870, Example 2; Zapata et al., Protein Eng. 8(10): 1057-1062 [1995]); single-chain antibody molecules; and multispecific antibodies formed from antibody fragments. In one embodiment, an antibody fragment comprises an antigen binding site of the intact antibody and thus retains the ability to bind antigen.

Papain digestion of antibodies produces two identical antigen-binding fragments, called “Fab” fragments, and a residual “Fc” fragment, a designation reflecting the ability to crystallize readily. The Fab fragment consists of an entire L chain along with the variable region domain of the H chain (V_(H)), and the first constant domain of one heavy chain (C_(H)1). Each Fab fragment is monovalent with respect to antigen binding, i.e., it has a single antigen-binding site. Pepsin treatment of an antibody yields a single large F(ab′)₂ fragment which roughly corresponds to two disulfide linked Fab fragments having divalent antigen-binding activity and is still capable of cross-linking antigen. Fab′ fragments differ from Fab fragments by having additional few residues at the carboxy terminus of the C_(H)1 domain including one or more cysteines from the antibody hinge region. Fab′-SH is the designation herein for Fab′ in which the cysteine residue(s) of the constant domains bear a free thiol group. F(ab′)₂ antibody fragments originally were produced as pairs of Fab′ fragments which have hinge cysteines between them. Other chemical couplings of antibody fragments are also known.

The Fc fragment comprises the carboxy-terminal portions of both H chains held together by disulfides. The effector functions of antibodies are determined by sequences in the Fc region, which region is also the part recognized by Fc receptors (FcR) found on certain types of cells.

“Fv” is the minimum antibody fragment which contains a complete antigen-recognition and -binding site. This fragment consists of a dimer of one heavy- and one light-chain variable region domain in tight, non-covalent association. In a single-chain Fv (scFv) species, one heavy- and one light-chain variable domain can be covalently linked by a flexible peptide linker such that the light and heavy chains can associate in a “dimeric” structure analogous to that in a two-chain Fv species. From the folding of these two domains emanate six hypervariable loops (3 loops each from the H and L chain) that contribute the amino acid residues for antigen binding and confer antigen binding specificity to the antibody. However, even a single variable domain (or half of an Fv comprising only three CDRs specific for an antigen) has the ability to recognize and bind antigen, although at a lower affinity than the entire binding site.

“Single-chain Fv” also abbreviated as “sFv” or “scFv” are antibody fragments that comprise the V_(H) and V_(L) antibody domains connected into a single polypeptide chain. Preferably, the sFv polypeptide further comprises a polypeptide linker between the V_(H) and V_(L) domains which enables the sFv to form the desired structure for antigen binding. For a review of sFv, see Pluckthun in The Pharmacology of Monoclonal Antibodies, vol. 113, Rosenburg and Moore eds., Springer-Verlag, New York, pp. 269-315 (1994); Borrebaeck 1995, infra.

The term “diabodies” refers to antibody fragments with two antigen-binding sites, which fragments comprise a heavy-chain variable domain (VH) connected to a light-chain variable domain (VL) in the same polypeptide chain (VH-VL). The small antibody fragments are prepared by constructing sFv fragments (see preceding paragraph) with short linkers (about 5-10 residues) between the V_(H) and V_(L) domains such that inter-chain but not intra-chain pairing of the V domains is achieved, resulting in a bivalent fragment, i.e., fragment having two antigen-binding sites. Diabodies may be bivalent or bispecific. Bispecific diabodies are heterodimers of two “crossover” sFv fragments in which the V_(H) and V_(L) domains of the two antibodies are present on different polypeptide chains. Diabodies are described more fully in, for example, EP 404,097; WO 93/11161; Hudson et al., Nat. Med. 9:129-134 (2003); and Hollinger et al., Proc. Natl. Acad. Sci. USA, 90:6444-6448 (1993). Triabodies and tetrabodies are also described in Hudson et al., Nat. Med. 9:129-134 (2003).

The term “monoclonal antibody” as used herein refers to an antibody obtained from a population of substantially homogeneous antibodies, i.e., the individual antibodies comprising the population are identical except for possible naturally occurring mutations that may be present in minor amounts. Monoclonal antibodies are highly specific, being directed against a single antigenic site. Furthermore, in contrast to polyclonal antibody preparations which include different antibodies directed against different determinants (epitopes), each monoclonal antibody is directed against a single determinant on the antigen. In addition to their specificity, the monoclonal antibodies are advantageous in that they may be synthesized uncontaminated by other antibodies. The modifier “monoclonal” is not to be construed as requiring production of the antibody by any particular method. For example, the monoclonal antibodies useful in the present invention may be prepared by the hybridoma methodology first described by Kohler et al., Nature, 256:495 (1975), or may be made using recombinant DNA methods in bacterial, eukaryotic animal or plant cells (see, e.g., U.S. Pat. No. 4,816,567). The “monoclonal antibodies” may also be isolated from phage antibody libraries using the techniques described in Clackson et al., Nature, 352:624-628 (1991) and Marks et al., J. Mol. Biol., 222:581-597 (1991), for example.

The monoclonal antibodies herein include “chimeric” antibodies in which a portion of the heavy and/or light chain is identical with or homologous to corresponding sequences in antibodies derived from a particular species or belonging to a particular antibody class or subclass, while the remainder of the chain(s) is identical with or homologous to corresponding sequences in antibodies derived from another species or belonging to another antibody class or subclass, as well as fragments of such antibodies, so long as they exhibit the desired biological activity (see U.S. Pat. No. 4,816,567; and Morrison et al., Proc. Natl. Acad. Sci. USA, 81:6851-6855 (1984)). Chimeric antibodies of interest herein include “primatized” antibodies comprising variable domain antigen-binding sequences derived from a non-human primate (e.g. Old World Monkey, Ape etc), and human constant region sequences.

“Humanized” forms of non-human (e.g., rodent) antibodies are chimeric antibodies that contain minimal sequence derived from the non-human antibody. For the most part, humanized antibodies are human immunoglobulins (recipient antibody) in which residues from a hypervariable region of the recipient are replaced by residues from a hypervariable region of a non-human species (donor antibody) such as mouse, rat, rabbit or non-human primate having the desired antibody specificity, affinity, and capability. In some instances, framework region (FR) residues of the human immunoglobulin are replaced by corresponding non-human residues. Furthermore, humanized antibodies may comprise residues that are not found in the recipient antibody or in the donor antibody. These modifications are made to further refine antibody performance. In general, the humanized antibody will comprise substantially all of at least one, and typically two, variable domains, in which all or substantially all of the hypervariable loops correspond to those of a non-human immunoglobulin and all or substantially all of the FRs are those of a human immunoglobulin sequence. The humanized antibody optionally also will comprise at least a portion of an immunoglobulin constant region (Fc), typically that of a human immunoglobulin. For further details, see Jones et al., Nature 321:522-525 (1986); Riechmann et al., Nature 332:323-329 (1988); and Presta, Curr. Op. Struct. Biol. 2:593-596 (1992). See also the following review articles and references cited therein: Vaswani and Hamilton, Ann. Allergy, Asthma and Immunol., 1:105-115 (1998); Harris, Biochem. Soc. Transactions, 23:1035-1038 (1995); Hurle and Gross, Curr. Op. Biotech., 5:428-433 (1994).

“Thio” when used herein to refer to an antibody refers to a cysteine-engineered antibody while “hu” when used herein to refer to an antibody refers to a humanized antibody.

A “human antibody” is one which possesses an amino acid sequence which corresponds to that of an antibody produced by a human and/or has been made using any of the techniques for making human antibodies as disclosed herein. This definition of a human antibody specifically excludes a humanized antibody comprising non-human antigen-binding residues. Human antibodies can be produced using various techniques known in the art, including phage-display libraries. Hoogenboom and Winter, J. Mol. Biol., 227:381 (1991); Marks et al., J. Mol. Biol., 222:581 (1991). Also available for the preparation of human monoclonal antibodies are methods described in Cole et al., Monoclonal Antibodies and Cancer Therapy, Alan R. Liss, p. 77 (1985); Boerner et al., J. Immunol., 147(1):86-95 (1991). See also van Dijk and van de Winkel, Curr. Opin. Pharmacol., 5: 368-74 (2001). Human antibodies can be prepared by administering the antigen to a transgenic animal that has been modified to produce such antibodies in response to antigenic challenge, but whose endogenous loci have been disabled, e.g., immunized xenomice (see, e.g., U.S. Pat. Nos. 6,075,181 and 6,150,584 regarding XENOMOUSE™ technology). See also, for example, Li et al., Proc. Natl. Acad. Sci. USA, 103:3557-3562 (2006) regarding human antibodies generated via a human B-cell hybridoma technology.

The term “hypervariable region”, “HVR”, or “HV”, when used herein refers to the regions of an antibody variable domain which are hypervariable in sequence and/or form structurally defined loops. Generally, antibodies comprise six hypervariable regions; three in the VH (H1, H2, H3), and three in the VL (L1, L2, L3). A number of hypervariable region delineations are in use and are encompassed herein. The Kabat Complementarity Determining Regions (CDRs) are based on sequence variability and are the most commonly used (Kabat et al., Sequences of Proteins of Immunological Interest, 5th Ed. Public Health Service, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, Md. (1991)). Chothia refers instead to the location of the structural loops (Chothia and Lesk J. Mol. Biol. 196:901-917 (1987)). The end of the Chothia CDR-H1 loop when numbered using the Kabat numbering convention varies between H32 and H34 depending on the length of the loop (this is because the Kabat numbering scheme places the insertions at H35A and H35B; if neither 35A nor 35B is present, the loop ends at 32; if only 35A is present, the loop ends at 33; if both 35A and 35B are present, the loop ends at 34). The AbM hypervariable regions represent a compromise between the Kabat CDRs and Chothia structural loops, and are used by Oxford Molecular's AbM antibody modeling software. The “contact” hypervariable regions are based on an analysis of the available complex crystal structures. The residues from each of these hypervariable regions are noted below.

Loop Kabat AbM Chothia Contact L1 L24-L34 L24-L34 L24-L34 L30-L36 L2 L50-L56 L50-L56 L50-L56 L46-L55 L3 L89-L97 L89-L97 L89-L97 L89-L96 H1 H31-H35B H26-H35B H26-H32 . . . 34 H30-H35B (Kabat Numbering) H1 H31-H35 H26-H35 H26-H32 H30-H35 (Chothia Numbering) H2 H50-H65 H50-H58 H52-H56 H47-H58 H3 H95-H102 H95-H102 H95-H102 H93-H101

Hypervariable regions may comprise “extended hypervariable regions” as follows: 24-36 or 24-34 (L1), 46-56 or 50-56 (L2) and 89-97 (L3) in the VL and 26-35B (H1), 50-65, 47-65 or 49-65 (H2) and 93-102, 94-102 or 95-102 (H3) in the VH. The variable domain residues are numbered according to Kabat et al., supra for each of these definitions.

“Framework” or “FR” residues are those variable domain residues other than the hypervariable region residues herein defined.

The term “variable domain residue numbering as in Kabat” or “amino acid position numbering as in Kabat”, and variations thereof, refers to the numbering system used for heavy chain variable domains or light chain variable domains of the compilation of antibodies in Kabat et al., Sequences of Proteins of Immunological Interest, 5th Ed. Public Health Service, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, Md. (1991). Using this numbering system, the actual linear amino acid sequence may contain fewer or additional amino acids corresponding to a shortening of, or insertion into, a FR or CDR of the variable domain. For example, a heavy chain variable domain may include a single amino acid insert (residue 52a according to Kabat) after residue 52 of H2 and inserted residues (e.g. residues 82a, 82b, and 82c, etc according to Kabat) after heavy chain FR residue 82. The Kabat numbering of residues may be determined for a given antibody by alignment at regions of homology of the sequence of the antibody with a “standard” Kabat numbered sequence.

The Kabat numbering system is generally used when referring to a residue in the variable domain (approximately residues 1-107 of the light chain and residues 1-113 of the heavy chain) (e.g, Kabat et al., Sequences of Immunological Interest. 5th Ed. Public Health Service, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, Md. (1991)). The “EU numbering system” or “EU index” is generally used when referring to a residue in an immunoglobulin heavy chain constant region (e.g., the EU index reported in Kabat et al., supra). The “EU index as in Kabat” refers to the residue numbering of the human IgG1 EU antibody. Unless stated otherwise herein, references to residue numbers in the variable domain of antibodies means residue numbering by the Kabat numbering system. Unless stated otherwise herein, references to residue numbers in the constant domain of antibodies means residue numbering by the EU numbering system (e.g., see U.S. Provisional Application No. 60/640,323, Figures for EU numbering).

An “affinity matured” antibody is one with one or more alterations in one or more HVRs thereof which result in an improvement in the affinity of the antibody for antigen, compared to a parent antibody which does not possess those alteration(s). Preferred affinity matured antibodies will have nanomolar or even picomolar affinities for the target antigen. Affinity matured antibodies are produced by procedures known in the art. Marks et al. Bio/Technology 10:779-783 (1992) describes affinity maturation by VH and VL domain shuffling. Random mutagenesis of HVR and/or framework residues is described by: Barbas et al. Proc Nat. Acad. Sci, USA 91:3809-3813 (1994); Schier et al. Gene 169:147-155 (1995); Yelton et al. J. Immunol. 155:1994-2004 (1995); Jackson et al., J. Immunol. 154(7):3310-9 (1995); and Hawkins et al, J. Mol. Biol. 226:889-896 (1992).

A “blocking” antibody or an “antagonist” antibody is one which inhibits or reduces biological activity of the antigen it binds. Preferred blocking antibodies or antagonist antibodies substantially or completely inhibit the biological activity of the antigen.

An “agonist antibody”, as used herein, is an antibody which mimics at least one of the functional activities of a polypeptide of interest.

A “species-dependent antibody,” e.g., a mammalian anti-human IgE antibody, is an antibody which has a stronger binding affinity for an antigen from a first mammalian species than it has for a homologue of that antigen from a second mammalian species. Normally, the species-dependent antibody “bind specifically” to a human antigen (i.e., has a binding affinity (Kd) value of no more than about 1×10⁻⁷ M, preferably no more than about 1×10⁻⁸ and most preferably no more than about 1×10⁻⁹ M) but has a binding affinity for a homologue of the antigen from a second non-human mammalian species which is at least about 50 fold, or at least about 500 fold, or at least about 1000 fold, weaker than its binding affinity for the human antigen. The species-dependent antibody can be of any of the various types of antibodies as defined above, but preferably is a humanized or human antibody.

“Binding affinity” generally refers to the strength of the sum total of noncovalent interactions between a single binding site of a molecule (e.g., an antibody) and its binding partner (e.g., an antigen). Unless indicated otherwise, as used herein, “binding affinity” refers to intrinsic binding affinity which reflects a 1:1 interaction between members of a binding pair (e.g., antibody and antigen). The affinity of a molecule X for its partner Y can generally be represented by the dissociation constant (Kd). Affinity can be measured by common methods known in the art, including those described herein. Low-affinity antibodies generally bind antigen slowly and tend to dissociate readily, whereas high-affinity antibodies generally bind antigen faster and tend to remain bound longer. A variety of methods of measuring binding affinity are known in the art, any of which can be used for purposes of the present invention. Specific illustrative embodiments are described in the following.

“Or better” when used herein to refer to binding affinity refers to a stronger binding between a molecule and its binding partner. “Or better” when used herein refers to a stronger binding, represented by a smaller numerical Kd value. For example, an antibody which has an affinity for an antigen of “0.6 nM or better”, the antibody's affinity for the antigen is <0.6 nM, i.e. 0.59 nM, 0.58 nM, 0.57 nM etc. or any value less than 0.6 nM.

In one embodiment, the “Kd” or “Kd value” according to this invention is measured by a radiolabeled antigen binding assay (RIA) performed with the Fab version of an antibody of interest and its antigen as described by the following assay that measures solution binding affinity of Fabs for antigen by equilibrating Fab with a minimal concentration of [¹²⁵I]-labeled antigen in the presence of a titration series of unlabeled antigen, then capturing bound antigen with an anti-Fab antibody-coated plate (Chen, et al., (1999) J. Mol Biol 293:865-881). To establish conditions for the assay, microtiter plates (Dynex) are coated overnight with 5 μg/ml of a capturing anti-Fab antibody (Cappel Labs) in 50 mM sodium carbonate (pH 9.6), and subsequently blocked with 2% (w/v) bovine serum albumin in PBS for two to five hours at room temperature (approximately 23° C.). In a non-adsorbant plate (Nunc #269620), 100 pM or 26 pM [125₁]- j antigen are mixed with serial dilutions of a Fab of interest (e.g., consistent with assessment of an anti-VEGF antibody, Fab-12, in Presta et al., (1997) Cancer Res. 57:4593-4599). The Fab of interest is then incubated overnight; however, the incubation may continue for a longer period (e.g., 65 hours) to insure that equilibrium is reached. Thereafter, the mixtures are transferred to the capture plate for incubation at room temperature (e.g., for one hour). The solution is then removed and the plate washed eight times with 0.1% Tween-20 in PBS. When the plates have dried, 150 μl/well of scintillant (MicroScint-20; Packard) is added, and the plates are counted on a Topcount gamma counter (Packard) for ten minutes. Concentrations of each Fab that give less than or equal to 20% of maximal binding are chosen for use in competitive binding assays. According to another embodiment the Kd or Kd value is measured by using surface plasmon resonance assays using a BIAcore™-2000 or a BIAcore™-3000 (BlAcore, Inc., Piscataway, N.J.) at 25C with immobilized antigen CMS chips at ˜10 response units (RU). Briefly, carboxymethylated dextran biosensor chips (CMS, BlAcore Inc.) are activated with N-ethyl-N′- (3-dimethylaminopropyl)-carbodiimide hydrochloride (EDC) and N-hydroxysuccinimide (NHS) according to the supplier's instructions. Antigen is diluted with 10 mM sodium acetate, pH 4.8, into 5 ug/ml (˜0.2uM) before injection at a flow rate of 5 μl/minute to achieve approximately 10 response units (RU) of coupled protein. Following the injection of antigen, 1M ethanolamine is injected to block unreacted groups. For kinetics measurements, two-fold serial dilutions of Fab (0.78 nM to 500 nM) are injected in PBS with 0.05% Tween 20 (PBST) at 25° C. at a flow rate of approximately 25 ul/min. Association rates (k_(on)) and dissociation rates (k_(off).) are calculated using a simple one-to-one Langmuir binding model (BlAcore Evaluation Software version 3.2) by simultaneous fitting the association and dissociation sensorgram. The equilibrium dissociation constant (Kd) is calculated as the ratio k_(off)/k_(on). See, e.g., Chen, Y., et al., (1999) J. Mol Biol 293:865-881. If the on-rate exceeds 10⁶ M⁻¹ S⁻¹ by the surface plasmon resonance assay above, then the on-rate can be determined by using a fluorescent quenching technique that measures the increase or decrease in fluorescence emission intensity (excitation=295 nm; emission=340 nm, 16 nm band-pass) at 25° C. of a 20nM anti-antigen antibody (Fab form) in PBS, pH 7.2, in the presence of increasing concentrations of antigen as measured in a spectrometer, such as a stop-flow equipped spectrophometer (Aviv Instruments) or a 8000-series SLM-Aminco spectrophotometer (ThermoSpectronic) with a stir red cuvette.

An “on-rate” or “rate of association” or “association rate” or “k_(on)” according to this invention can also be determined with the same surface plasmon resonance technique described above using a BIAcore™-2000 or a BIAcore™-3000 (BlAcore, Inc., Piscataway, N.J.) as described above.

The phrase “substantially similar,” or “substantially the same”, as used herein, denotes a sufficiently high degree of similarity between two numeric values (generally one associated with an antibody of the invention and the other associated with a reference/comparator antibody) such that one of skill in the art would consider the difference between the two values to be of little or no biological and/or statistical significance within the context of the biological characteristic measured by said values (e.g., Kd values). The difference between said two values is preferably less than about 50%, preferably less than about 40%, preferably less than about 30%, preferably less than about 20%, preferably less than about 10% as a function of the value for the reference/comparator antibody.

The phrase “substantially reduced,” or “substantially different”, as used herein, denotes a sufficiently high degree of difference between two numeric values (generally one associated with an antibody of the invention and the other associated with a reference/comparator antibody) such that one of skill in the art would consider the difference between the two values to be of statistical significance within the context of the biological characteristic measured by said values (e.g., Kd values, HAMA response). The difference between said two values is preferably greater than about 10%, preferably greater than about 20%, preferably greater than about 30%, preferably greater than about 40%, preferably greater than about 50% as a function of the value for the reference/comparator antibody.

An “antigen” is a predetermined antigen to which an antibody can selectively bind. The target antigen may be polypeptide, carbohydrate, nucleic acid, lipid, hapten or other naturally occurring or synthetic compound. Preferably, the target antigen is a polypeptide.

An “acceptor human framework” for the purposes herein is a framework comprising the amino acid sequence of a VL or VH framework derived from a human immunoglobulin framework, or from a human consensus framework. An acceptor human framework “derived from” a human immunoglobulin framework or human consensus framework may comprise the same amino acid sequence thereof, or may contain pre-existing amino acid sequence changes. Where pre-existing amino acid changes are present, preferably no more than 5 and preferably 4 or less, or 3 or less, pre-existing amino acid changes are present. Where pre-existing amino acid changes are present in a VH, preferably those changes are only at three, two or one of positions 71H, 73H and 78H; for instance, the amino acid residues at those positions may be 71A, 73T and/or 78A. In one embodiment, the VL acceptor human framework is identical in sequence to the VL human immunoglobulin framework sequence or human consensus framework sequence.

A “human consensus framework” is a framework which represents the most commonly occurring amino acid residue in a selection of human immunoglobulin VL or VH framework sequences. Generally, the selection of human immunoglobulin VL or VH sequences is from a subgroup of variable domain sequences. Generally, the subgroup of sequences is a subgroup as in Kabat et al. In one embodiment, for the VL, the subgroup is subgroup kappa I as in Kabat et al. In one embodiment, for the VH, the subgroup is subgroup III as in Kabat et al.

A “VH subgroup III consensus framework” comprises the consensus sequence obtained from the amino acid sequences in variable heavy subgroup III of Kabat et al. In one embodiment, the VH subgroup III consensus framework amino acid sequence comprises at least a portion or all of each of the following sequences:

(SEQ ID NO: 143) EVQLVESGGGLVQPGGSLRLSCAAS- (SEQ ID NO: 144) H1-WVRQAPGKGLEWV- (SEQ ID NO: 145) H2-RFTISRDNSKNTLYLQMNSLRAEDTAVYYC- (SEQ ID NO: 146) H3-WGQGTLVTVSS.

A “VL subgroup I consensus framework” comprises the consensus sequence obtained from the amino acid sequences in variable light kappa subgroup I of Kabat et al. In one embodiment, the VL subgroup I consensus framework amino acid sequence comprises at least a portion or all of each of the following sequences:

(SEQ ID NO: 139) DIQMTQSPSSLSASVGDRVTITC- (SEQ ID NO: 140) L1-WYQQKPGKAPKLLIY- (SEQ ID NO: 141) L2-GVPSRFSGSGSGTDFTLTISSLQPEDFATYYC- (SEQ ID NO: 142) L3-FGQGTKVEIKR.

An “unmodified human framework” is a human framework which has the same amino acid sequence as the acceptor human framework, e.g. lacking human to non-human amino acid substitution(s) in the acceptor human framework.

An “altered hypervariable region” for the purposes herein is a hypervariable region comprising one or more (e.g. one to about 16) amino acid substitution(s) therein.

An “un-modified hypervariable region” for the purposes herein is a hypervariable region having the same amino acid sequence as a non-human antibody from which it was derived, i.e. one which lacks one or more amino acid substitutions therein.

An antibody “which binds” an antigen of interest, e.g. a tumor-associated polypeptide antigen target, is one that binds the antigen with sufficient affinity such that the antibody is useful as a therapeutic agent in targeting a cell or tissue expressing the antigen, and does not significantly cross-react with other proteins. In such embodiments, the extent of binding of the antibody to a “non-target” protein will be less than about 10% of the binding of the antibody to its particular target protein as determined by fluorescence activated cell sorting (FACS) analysis or radioimmunoprecipitation (RIA). With regard to the binding of an antibody to a target molecule, the term “specific binding” or “specifically binds to” or is “specific for” a particular polypeptide or an epitope on a particular polypeptide target means binding that is measurably different from a non-specific interaction. Specific binding can be measured, for example, by determining binding of a molecule compared to binding of a control molecule, which generally is a molecule of similar structure that does not have binding activity. For example, specific binding can be determined by competition with a control molecule that is similar to the target, for example, an excess of non-labeled target. In this case, specific binding is indicated if the binding of the labeled target to a probe is competitively inhibited by excess unlabeled target. The term “specific binding” or “specifically binds to” or is “specific for” a particular polypeptide or an epitope on a particular polypeptide target as used herein can be exhibited, for example, by a molecule having a Kd for the target of at least about 10⁻⁴ M, alternatively at least about 10⁻⁵ M, alternatively at least about 10⁻⁶ M, alternatively at least about 10⁻⁷ M, alternatively at least about 10⁻⁸ M, alternatively at least about 10⁻⁹ M, alternatively at least about 10⁻¹⁰ M, alternatively at least about 10⁻¹¹ M, alternatively at least about 10⁻¹² M, or greater. In one embodiment, the term “specific binding” refers to binding where a molecule binds to a particular polypeptide or epitope on a particular polypeptide without substantially binding to any other polypeptide or polypeptide epitope.

An antibody that “inhibits the growth of tumor cells expressing a CD79b polypeptide” or a “growth inhibitory” antibody is one which results in measurable growth inhibition of cancer cells expressing or overexpressing the appropriate CD79b polypeptide. The CD79b polypeptide may be a transmembrane polypeptide expressed on the surface of a cancer cell or may be a polypeptide that is produced and secreted by a cancer cell. Preferred growth inhibitory anti-CD79b antibodies inhibit growth of CD79b-expressing tumor cells by greater than 20%, preferably from about 20% to about 50%, and even more preferably, by greater than 50% (e.g., from about 50% to about 100%) as compared to the appropriate control, the control typically being tumor cells not treated with the antibody being tested. In one embodiment, growth inhibition can be measured at an antibody concentration of about 0.1 to 30 _(l)ag/m1 or about 0.5 nM to 200 nM in cell culture, where the growth inhibition is determined 1-10 days after exposure of the tumor cells to the antibody. Growth inhibition of tumor cells in vivo can be determined in various ways such as is described in the Experimental Examples section below. The antibody is growth inhibitory in vivo if administration of the anti-CD79b antibody at about 1 μg/kg to about 100 mg/kg body weight results in reduction in tumor size or tumor cell proliferation within about 5 days to 3 months from the first administration of the antibody, preferably within about 5 to 30 days.

An antibody which “induces apoptosis” is one which induces programmed cell death as determined by binding of annexin V, fragmentation of DNA, cell shrinkage, dilation of endoplasmic reticulum, cell fragmentation, and/or formation of membrane vesicles (called apoptotic bodies). The cell is usually one which overexpresses a CD79b polypeptide. Preferably the cell is a tumor cell, e.g., a hematopoietic cell, such as a B cell, T cell, basophil, eosinophil, neutrophil, monocyte, platelet or erythrocyte. Various methods are available for evaluating the cellular events associated with apoptosis. For example, phosphatidyl serine (PS) translocation can be measured by annexin binding; DNA fragmentation can be evaluated through DNA laddering; and nuclear/chromatin condensation along with DNA fragmentation can be evaluated by any increase in hypodiploid cells. Preferably, the antibody which induces apoptosis is one which results in about 2 to 50 fold, preferably about 5 to 50 fold, and most preferably about 10 to 50 fold, induction of annexin binding relative to untreated cell in an annexin binding assay.

An antibody which “induces cell death” is one which causes a viable cell to become nonviable. The cell is one which expresses a CD79b polypeptide and is of a cell type which specifically expresses or overexpresses a CD79b polypeptide. The cell may be cancerous or normal cells of the particular cell type. The CD79b polypeptide may be a transmembrane polypeptide expressed on the surface of a cancer cell or may be a polypeptide that is produced and secreted by a cancer cell. The cell may be a cancer cell, e.g., a B cell or T cell. Cell death in vitro may be determined in the absence of complement and immune effector cells to distinguish cell death induced by antibody-dependent cell-mediated cytotoxicity (ADCC) or complement dependent cytotoxicity (CDC). Thus, the assay for cell death may be performed using heat inactivated serum (i.e., in the absence of complement) and in the absence of immune effector cells. To determine whether the antibody is able to induce cell death, loss of membrane integrity as evaluated by uptake of propidium iodide (PI), trypan blue (see Moore et al. Cytotechnology 17:1-11 (1995)) or 7AAD can be assessed relative to untreated cells. Preferred cell death-inducing antibodies are those which induce PI uptake in the PI uptake assay in BT474 cells.

Antibody “effector functions” refer to those biological activities attributable to the Fc region (a native sequence Fc region or amino acid sequence variant Fc region) of an antibody, and vary with the antibody isotype. Examples of antibody effector functions include: C1q binding and complement dependent cytotoxicity; Fc receptor binding; antibody-dependent cell-mediated cytotoxicity (ADCC); phagocytosis; down regulation of cell surface receptors (e.g., B cell receptor); and B cell activation.

The term “Fc region” herein is used to define a C-terminal region of an immunoglobulin heavy chain, including native sequence Fc regions and variant Fc regions. Although the boundaries of the Fc region of an immunoglobulin heavy chain might vary, the human IgG heavy chain Fc region is usually defined to stretch from an amino acid residue at position Cys226, or from Pro230, to the carboxyl-terminus thereof. The C-terminal lysine (residue 447 according to the EU numbering system) of the Fc region may be removed, for example, during production or purification of the antibody, or by recombinantly engineering the nucleic acid encoding a heavy chain of the antibody. Accordingly, a composition of intact antibodies may comprise antibody populations with all K447 residues removed, antibody populations with no K447 residues removed, and antibody populations having a mixture of antibodies with and without the K447 residue.

A “functional Fc region” possesses an “effector function” of a native sequence Fc region. Exemplary “effector functions” include C1q binding; CDC; Fc receptor binding; ADCC; phagocytosis; down regulation of cell surface receptors (e.g. B cell receptor; BCR), etc. Such effector functions generally require the Fc region to be combined with a binding domain (e.g., an antibody variable domain) and can be assessed using various assays as disclosed, for example, in definitions herein.

A “native sequence Fc region” comprises an amino acid sequence identical to the amino acid sequence of an Fc region found in nature. Native sequence human Fc regions include a native sequence human IgG1 Fc region (non-A and A allotypes); native sequence human IgG2 Fc region; native sequence human IgG3 Fc region; and native sequence human IgG4 Fc region as well as naturally occurring variants thereof.

A “variant Fc region” comprises an amino acid sequence which differs from that of a native sequence Fc region by virtue of at least one amino acid modification, preferably one or more amino acid substitution(s). Preferably, the variant Fc region has at least one amino acid substitution compared to a native sequence Fc region or to the Fc region of a parent polypeptide, e.g. from about one to about ten amino acid substitutions, and preferably from about one to about five amino acid substitutions in a native sequence Fc region or in the Fc region of the parent polypeptide. The variant Fc region herein will preferably possess at least about 80% homology with a native sequence Fc region and/or with an Fc region of a parent polypeptide, and most preferably at least about 90% homology therewith, more preferably at least about 95% homology therewith.

“Antibody-dependent cell-mediated cytotoxicity” or “ADCC” refers to a form of cytotoxicity in which secreted Ig bound onto Fc receptors (FcRs) present on certain cytotoxic cells (e.g., Natural Killer (NK) cells, neutrophils, and macrophages) enable these cytotoxic effector cells to bind specifically to an antigen-bearing target cell and subsequently kill the target cell with cytotoxins. The antibodies “arm” the cytotoxic cells and are absolutely required for such killing. The primary cells for mediating ADCC, NK cells, express FcγRIII only, whereas monocytes express FcγRI, FcγRII and FcγRIII. FcR expression on hematopoietic cells is summarized in Table 3 on page 464 of Ravetch and Kinet, Annu. Rev. Immunol. 9:457-92 (1991). To assess ADCC activity of a molecule of interest, an in vitro ADCC assay, such as that described in U.S. Pat. No. 5,500,362 or 5,821,337 may be performed. Useful effector cells for such assays include peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMC) and Natural Killer (NK) cells. Alternatively, or additionally, ADCC activity of the molecule of interest may be assessed in vivo, e.g., in a animal model such as that disclosed in Clynes et al. (USA) 95:652-656 (1998).

“Fc receptor” or “FcR” describes a receptor that binds to the Fc region of an antibody. The preferred FcR is a native sequence human FcR. Moreover, a preferred FcR is one which binds an IgG antibody (a gamma receptor) and includes receptors of the FcγRI, FcγRII and FcγRIII subclasses, including allelic variants and alternatively spliced forms of these receptors. FcγRII receptors include FcγRIIA (an “activating receptor”) and FcγRIIB (an “inhibiting receptor”), which have similar amino acid sequences that differ primarily in the cytoplasmic domains thereof. Activating receptor FcγRIIA contains an immunoreceptor tyrosine-based activation motif (ITAM) in its cytoplasmic domain. Inhibiting receptor FcγRIIB contains an immunoreceptor tyrosine-based inhibition motif (ITIM) in its cytoplasmic domain. (see review M. in Daeron, Annu. Rev. Immunol. 15:203-234 (1997)). FcRs are reviewed in Ravetch and Kinet, Annu. Rev. Immunol. 9:457-492 (1991); Capel et al., Immunomethods 4:25-34 (1994); and de Haas et al., J. Lab. Clin. Med. 126:330-41 (1995). Other FcRs, including those to be identified in the future, are encompassed by the term “FcR” herein. The term also includes the neonatal receptor, FcRn, which is responsible for the transfer of maternal IgGs to the fetus (Guyer et al., J. Immunol. 117:587 (1976) and Kim et al., J. Immunol. 24:249 (1994)).

Binding to human FcRn in vivo and serum half life of human FcRn high affinity binding polypeptides can be assayed, e.g., in transgenic mice or transfected human cell lines expressing human FcRn, or in primates to which the polypeptides with a variant Fc region are administered. WO 2000/42072 (Presta) describes antibody variants with improved or diminished binding to FcRs. See also, e.g., Shields et al. J. Biol. Chem. 9(2):6591-6604 (2001).

“Human effector cells” are leukocytes which express one or more FcRs and perform effector functions. Preferably, the cells express at least FcγRIII and perform ADCC effector function. Examples of human leukocytes which mediate ADCC include peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMC), natural killer (NK) cells, monocytes, cytotoxic T cells and neutrophils; with PBMCs and NK cells being preferred. The effector cells may be isolated from a native source, e.g., from blood.

“Complement dependent cytotoxicity” or “CDC” refers to the lysis of a target cell in the presence of complement. Activation of the classical complement pathway is initiated by the binding of the first component of the complement system (C1q) to antibodies (of the appropriate subclass) which are bound to their cognate antigen. To assess complement activation, a CDC assay, e.g., as described in Gazzano-Santoro et al., J. Immunol. Methods 202:163 (1996), may be performed. Polypeptide variants with altered Fc region amino acid sequences (polypeptides with a variant Fc region) and increased or decreased C1q binding capability are described, e.g., in U.S. Pat. No. 6,194,551 B1 and WO 1999/51642. See also, e.g., Idusogie et al. J. Immunol. 164: 4178-4184 (2000).

The term “Fc region-comprising antibody” refers to an antibody that comprises an Fc region. The C-terminal lysine (residue 447 according to the EU numbering system) of the Fc region may be removed, for example, during purification of the antibody or by recombinant engineering of the nucleic acid encoding the antibody. Accordingly, a composition comprising an antibody having an Fc region according to this invention can comprise an antibody with K447, with all K447 removed, or a mixture of antibodies with and without the K447 residue.

The CD79b polypeptide “extracellular domain” or “ECD” refers to a form of the CD79b polypeptide which is essentially free of the transmembrane and cytoplasmic domains. Ordinarily, a CD79b polypeptide ECD will have less than 1% of such transmembrane and/or cytoplasmic domains and preferably, will have less than 0.5% of such domains. It will be understood that any transmembrane domains identified for the CD79b polypeptides of the present invention are identified pursuant to criteria routinely employed in the art for identifying that type of hydrophobic domain. The exact boundaries of a transmembrane domain may vary but most likely by no more than about 5 amino acids at either end of the domain as initially identified herein. Optionally, therefore, an extracellular domain of a CD79b polypeptide may contain from about 5 or fewer amino acids on either side of the transmembrane domain/extracellular domain boundary as identified in the Examples or specification and such polypeptides, with or without the associated signal peptide, and nucleic acid encoding them, are contemplated by the present invention.

The approximate location of the “signal peptides” of the CD79b polypeptide disclosed herein may be shown in the present specification and/or the accompanying figures. It is noted, however, that the C-terminal boundary of a signal peptide may vary, but most likely by no more than about 5 amino acids on either side of the signal peptide C-terminal boundary as initially identified herein, wherein the C-terminal boundary of the signal peptide may be identified pursuant to criteria routinely employed in the art for identifying that type of amino acid sequence element (e.g., Nielsen et al., Prot. Eng. 10:1-6 (1997) and von Heinje et al., Nucl. Acids. Res. 14:4683-4690 (1986)). Moreover, it is also recognized that, in some cases, cleavage of a signal sequence from a secreted polypeptide is not entirely uniform, resulting in more than one secreted species. These mature polypeptides, where the signal peptide is cleaved within no more than about 5 amino acids on either side of the C-terminal boundary of the signal peptide as identified herein, and the polynucleotides encoding them, are contemplated by the present invention.

“CD79b polypeptide variant” means a CD79b polypeptide, preferably an active CD79b polypeptide, as defined herein having at least about 80% amino acid sequence identity with a full-length native sequence CD79b polypeptide sequence as disclosed herein, a CD79b polypeptide sequence lacking the signal peptide as disclosed herein, an extracellular domain of a CD79b polypeptide, with or without the signal peptide, as disclosed herein or any other fragment of a full-length CD79b polypeptide sequence as disclosed herein (such as those encoded by a nucleic acid that represents only a portion of the complete coding sequence for a full-length CD79b polypeptide). Such CD79b polypeptide variants include, for instance, CD79b polypeptides wherein one or more amino acid residues are added, or deleted, at the N- or C-terminus of the full-length native amino acid sequence. Ordinarily, a CD79b polypeptide variant will have at least about 80% amino acid sequence identity, alternatively at least about 81%, 82%, 83%, 84%, 85%, 86%, 87%, 88%, 89%, 90%, 91%, 92%, 93%, 94%, 95%, 96%, 97%, 98%, or 99% amino acid sequence identity, to a full-length native sequence CD79b polypeptide sequence as disclosed herein, a CD79b polypeptide sequence lacking the signal peptide as disclosed herein, an extracellular domain of a CD79b polypeptide, with or without the signal peptide, as disclosed herein or any other specifically defined fragment of a full-length CD79b polypeptide sequence as disclosed herein. Ordinarily, CD79b variant polypeptides are at least about 10 amino acids in length, alternatively at least about 20, 30, 40, 50, 60, 70, 80, 90, 100, 110, 120, 130, 140, 150, 160, 170, 180, 190, 200, 210, 220, 230, 240, 250, 260, 270, 280, 290, 300, 310, 320, 330, 340, 350, 360, 370, 380, 390, 400, 410, 420, 430, 440, 450, 460, 470, 480, 490, 500, 510, 520, 530, 540, 550, 560, 570, 580, 590, 600 amino acids in length, or more. Optionally, CD79b variant polypeptides will have no more than one conservative amino acid substitution as compared to the native CD79b polypeptide sequence, alternatively no more than 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, or 10 conservative amino acid substitution as compared to the native CD79b polypeptide sequence.

“Percent (%) amino acid sequence identity” with respect to a peptide or polypeptide sequence, i.e. CD79b polypeptide sequences identified herein, is defined as the percentage of amino acid residues in a candidate sequence that are identical with the amino acid residues in the specific peptide or polypeptide sequence, i.e. CD79b polypeptide sequence, after aligning the sequences and introducing gaps, if necessary, to achieve the maximum percent sequence identity, and not considering any conservative substitutions as part of the sequence identity. Alignment for purposes of determining percent amino acid sequence identity can be achieved in various ways that are within the skill in the art, for instance, using publicly available computer software such as BLAST, BLAST-2, ALIGN or Megalign (DNASTAR) software. Those skilled in the art can determine appropriate parameters for measuring alignment, including any algorithms needed to achieve maximal alignment over the full length of the sequences being compared. For purposes herein, however, % amino acid sequence identity values are generated using the sequence comparison computer program ALIGN-2, wherein the complete source code for the ALIGN-2 program is provided in Table 1 below. The ALIGN-2 sequence comparison computer program was authored by Genentech, Inc. and the source code shown in Table 1 below has been filed with user documentation in the U.S. Copyright Office, Washington D.C., 20559, where it is registered under U.S. Copyright Registration No. TXU510087. The ALIGN-2 program is publicly available through Genentech, Inc., South San Francisco, California or may be compiled from the source code provided in Table 1 below. The ALIGN-2 program should be compiled for use on a UNIX operating system, preferably digital UNIX V4.0D. All sequence comparison parameters are set by the ALIGN-2 program and do not vary.

In situations where ALIGN-2 is employed for amino acid sequence comparisons, the % amino acid sequence identity of a given amino acid sequence A to, with, or against a given amino acid sequence B (which can alternatively be phrased as a given amino acid sequence A that has or comprises a certain % amino acid sequence identity to, with, or against a given amino acid sequence B) is calculated as follows:

100 times the fraction X/Y

where X is the number of amino acid residues scored as identical matches by the sequence alignment program ALIGN-2 in that program's alignment of A and B, and where Y is the total number of amino acid residues in B. It will be appreciated that where the length of amino acid sequence A is not equal to the length of amino acid sequence B, the % amino acid sequence identity of A to B will not equal the % amino acid sequence identity of B to A.

“CD79b variant polynucleotide” or “CD79b variant nucleic acid sequence” means a nucleic acid molecule which encodes a CD79b polypeptide, preferably an active CD79b polypeptide, as defined herein and which has at least about 80% nucleic acid sequence identity with a nucleotide acid sequence encoding a full-length native sequence CD79b polypeptide sequence as disclosed herein, a full-length native sequence CD79b polypeptide sequence lacking the signal peptide as disclosed herein, an extracellular domain of a CD79b polypeptide, with or without the signal peptide, as disclosed herein or any other fragment of a full-length CD79b polypeptide sequence as disclosed herein (such as those encoded by a nucleic acid that represents only a portion of the complete coding sequence for a full-length CD79b polypeptide). Ordinarily, a CD79b variant polynucleotide will have at least about 80% nucleic acid sequence identity, alternatively at least about 81%, 82%, 83%, 84%, 85%, 86%, 87%, 88%, 89%, 90%, 91%, 92%, 93%, 94%, 95%, 96%, 97%, 98%, or 99% nucleic acid sequence identity with a nucleic acid sequence encoding a full-length native sequence CD79b polypeptide sequence as disclosed herein, a full-length native sequence CD79b polypeptide sequence lacking the signal peptide as disclosed herein, an extracellular domain of a CD79b polypeptide, with or without the signal sequence, as disclosed herein or any other fragment of a full-length CD79b polypeptide sequence as disclosed herein. Variants do not encompass the native nucleotide sequence.

Ordinarily, CD79b variant polynucleotides are at least about 5 nucleotides in length, alternatively at least about 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22, 23, 24, 25, 26, 27, 28, 29, 30, 35, 40, 45, 50, 55, 60, 65, 70, 75, 80, 85, 90, 95, 100, 105, 110, 115, 120, 125, 130, 135, 140, 145, 150, 155, 160, 165, 170, 175, 180, 185, 190, 195, 200, 210, 220, 230, 240, 250, 260, 270, 280, 290, 300, 310, 320, 330, 340, 350, 360, 370, 380, 390, 400, 410, 420, 430, 440, 450, 460, 470, 480, 490, 500, 510, 520, 530, 540, 550, 560, 570, 580, 590, 600, 610, 620, 630, 640, 650, 660, 670, 680, 690, 700, 710, 720, 730, 740, 750, 760, 770, 780, 790, 800, 810, 820, 830, 840, 850, 860, 870, 880, 890, 900, 910, 920, 930, 940, 950, 960, 970, 980, 990, or 1000 nucleotides in length, wherein in this context the term “about” means the referenced nucleotide sequence length plus or minus 10% of that referenced length.

“Percent (%) nucleic acid sequence identity” with respect to CD79b-encoding nucleic acid sequences identified herein is defined as the percentage of nucleotides in a candidate sequence that are identical with the nucleotides in the CD79b nucleic acid sequence of interest, after aligning the sequences and introducing gaps, if necessary, to achieve the maximum percent sequence identity. Alignment for purposes of determining percent nucleic acid sequence identity can be achieved in various ways that are within the skill in the art, for instance, using publicly available computer software such as BLAST, BLAST-2, ALIGN or Megalign (DNASTAR) software. For purposes herein, however, % nucleic acid sequence identity values are generated using the sequence comparison computer program ALIGN-2, wherein the complete source code for the ALIGN-2 program is provided in Table 1 below. The ALIGN-2 sequence comparison computer program was authored by Genentech, Inc. and the source code shown in Table 1 below has been filed with user documentation in the U.S. Copyright Office, Washington D.C., 20559, where it is registered under U.S. Copyright Registration No. TXU510087. The ALIGN-2 program is publicly available through Genentech, Inc., South San Francisco, Calif. or may be compiled from the source code provided in Table 1 below. The ALIGN-2 program should be compiled for use on a UNIX operating system, preferably digital UNIX V4.0D. All sequence comparison parameters are set by the ALIGN-2 program and do not vary.

In situations where ALIGN-2 is employed for nucleic acid sequence comparisons, the % nucleic acid sequence identity of a given nucleic acid sequence C to, with, or against a given nucleic acid sequence D (which can alternatively be phrased as a given nucleic acid sequence C that has or comprises a certain % nucleic acid sequence identity to, with, or against a given nucleic acid sequence D) is calculated as follows:

100 times the fraction W/Z

where W is the number of nucleotides scored as identical matches by the sequence alignment program ALIGN-2 in that program's alignment of C and D, and where Z is the total number of nucleotides in D. It will be appreciated that where the length of nucleic acid sequence C is not equal to the length of nucleic acid sequence D, the % nucleic acid sequence identity of C to D will not equal the % nucleic acid sequence identity of D to C. Unless specifically stated otherwise, all % nucleic acid sequence identity values used herein are obtained as described in the immediately preceding paragraph using the ALIGN-2 computer program.

In other embodiments, CD79b variant polynucleotides are nucleic acid molecules that encode a CD79b polypeptide and which are capable of hybridizing, preferably under stringent hybridization and wash conditions, to nucleotide sequences encoding a full-length CD79b polypeptide as disclosed herein. CD79b variant polypeptides may be those that are encoded by a CD79b variant polynucleotide.

The term “full-length coding region” when used in reference to a nucleic acid encoding a CD79b polypeptide refers to the sequence of nucleotides which encode the full-length CD79b polypeptide of the invention (which is often shown between start and stop codons, inclusive thereof, in the accompanying figures). The term “full-length coding region” when used in reference to an ATCC deposited nucleic acid refers to the CD79b polypeptide-encoding portion of the cDNA that is inserted into the vector deposited with the ATCC (which is often shown between start and stop codons, inclusive thereof, in the accompanying figures (start and stop codons are bolded and underlined in the figures)).

“Isolated,” when used to describe the various CD79b polypeptides disclosed herein, means polypeptide that has been identified and separated and/or recovered from a component of its natural environment. Contaminant components of its natural environment are materials that would typically interfere with therapeutic uses for the polypeptide, and may include enzymes, hormones, and other proteinaceous or non-proteinaceous solutes. In preferred embodiments, the polypeptide will be purified (1) to a degree sufficient to obtain at least 15 residues of N-terminal or internal amino acid sequence by use of a spinning cup sequenator, or (2) to homogeneity by SDS-PAGE under non-reducing or reducing conditions using Coomassie blue or, preferably, silver stain. Isolated polypeptide includes polypeptide in situ within recombinant cells, since at least one component of the CD79b polypeptide natural environment will not be present. Ordinarily, however, isolated polypeptide will be prepared by at least one purification step.

An “isolated” CD79b polypeptide-encoding nucleic acid or other polypeptide-encoding nucleic acid is a nucleic acid molecule that is identified and separated from at least one contaminant nucleic acid molecule with which it is ordinarily associated in the natural source of the polypeptide-encoding nucleic acid. An isolated polypeptide-encoding nucleic acid molecule is other than in the form or setting in which it is found in nature. Isolated polypeptide-encoding nucleic acid molecules therefore are distinguished from the specific polypeptide-encoding nucleic acid molecule as it exists in natural cells. However, an isolated polypeptide-encoding nucleic acid molecule includes polypeptide-encoding nucleic acid molecules contained in cells that ordinarily express the polypeptide where, for example, the nucleic acid molecule is in a chromosomal location different from that of natural cells.

The term “control sequences” refers to DNA sequences necessary for the expression of an operably linked coding sequence in a particular host organism. The control sequences that are suitable for prokaryotes, for example, include a promoter, optionally an operator sequence, and a ribosome binding site. Eukaryotic cells are known to utilize promoters, polyadenylation signals, and enhancers.

Nucleic acid is “operably linked” when it is placed into a functional relationship with another nucleic acid sequence. For example, DNA for a presequence or secretory leader is operably linked to DNA for a polypeptide if it is expressed as a preprotein that participates in the secretion of the polypeptide; a promoter or enhancer is operably linked to a coding sequence if it affects the transcription of the sequence; or a ribosome binding site is operably linked to a coding sequence if it is positioned so as to facilitate translation. Generally, “operably linked” means that the DNA sequences being linked are contiguous, and, in the case of a secretory leader, contiguous and in reading phase. However, enhancers do not have to be contiguous. Linking is accomplished by ligation at convenient restriction sites. If such sites do not exist, the synthetic oligonucleotide adaptors or linkers are used in accordance with conventional practice.

“Stringency” of hybridization reactions is readily determinable by one of ordinary skill in the art, and generally is an empirical calculation dependent upon probe length, washing temperature, and salt concentration. In general, longer probes require higher temperatures for proper annealing, while shorter probes need lower temperatures. Hybridization generally depends on the ability of denatured DNA to reanneal when complementary strands are present in an environment below their melting temperature. The higher the degree of desired homology between the probe and hybridizable sequence, the higher the relative temperature which can be used. As a result, it follows that higher relative temperatures would tend to make the reaction conditions more stringent, while lower temperatures less so. For additional details and explanation of stringency of hybridization reactions, see Ausubel et al., Current Protocols in Molecular Biology, Wiley Interscience Publishers, (1995).

“Stringent conditions” or “high stringency conditions”, as defined herein, may be identified by those that: (1) employ low ionic strength and high temperature for washing, for example 0.015 M sodium chloride/0.0015 M sodium citrate/0.1% sodium dodecyl sulfate at 50EC; (2) employ during hybridization a denaturing agent, such as formamide, for example, 50% (v/v) formamide with 0.1% bovine serum albumin/0.1% Ficoll/0.1% polyvinylpyrrolidone/50 mM sodium phosphate buffer at pH 6.5 with 750 mM sodium chloride, 75 mM sodium citrate at 42EC; or (3) overnight hybridization in a solution that employs 50% formamide, 5×SSC (0.75 M NaCl, 0.075 M sodium citrate), 50 mM sodium phosphate (pH 6.8), 0.1% sodium pyrophosphate, 5× Denhardt's solution, sonicated salmon sperm DNA (50 μg/ml), 0.1% SDS, and 10% dextran sulfate at 42EC, with a 10 minute wash at 42EC in 0.2×SSC (sodium chloride/sodium citrate) followed by a 10 minute high-stringency wash consisting of 0.1×SSC containing EDTA at 55EC.

“Moderately stringent conditions” may be identified as described by Sambrook et al., Molecular Cloning: A Laboratory Manual, New York: Cold Spring Harbor Press, 1989, and include the use of washing solution and hybridization conditions (e.g., temperature, ionic strength and % SDS) less stringent that those described above. An example of moderately stringent conditions is overnight incubation at 37EC in a solution comprising: 20% formamide, 5×SSC (150 mM NaCl, 15 mM trisodium citrate), 50 mM sodium phosphate (pH 7.6), 5× Denhardt's solution, 10% dextran sulfate, and 20 mg/ml denatured sheared salmon sperm DNA, followed by washing the filters in 1×SSC at about 37-50EC. The skilled artisan will recognize how to adjust the temperature, ionic strength, etc. as necessary to accommodate factors such as probe length and the like.

The term “epitope tagged” when used herein refers to a chimeric polypeptide comprising a CD79b polypeptide or anti-CD79b antibody fused to a “tag polypeptide”. The tag polypeptide has enough residues to provide an epitope against which an antibody can be made, yet is short enough such that it does not interfere with activity of the polypeptide to which it is fused. The tag polypeptide preferably also is fairly unique so that the antibody does not substantially cross-react with other epitopes. Suitable tag polypeptides generally have at least six amino acid residues and usually between about 8 and 50 amino acid residues (preferably, between about 10 and 20 amino acid residues).

“Active” or “activity” for the purposes herein refers to form(s) of a CD79b polypeptide which retain a biological and/or an immunological activity of native or naturally-occurring CD79b, wherein “biological” activity refers to a biological function (either inhibitory or stimulatory) caused by a native or naturally-occurring CD79b other than the ability to induce the production of an antibody against an antigenic epitope possessed by a native or naturally-occurring CD79b and an “immunological” activity refers to the ability to induce the production of an antibody against an antigenic epitope possessed by a native or naturally-occurring CD79b.

The term “antagonist” is used in the broadest sense, and includes any molecule that partially or fully blocks, inhibits, or neutralizes a biological activity of a native CD79b polypeptide. In a similar manner, the term “agonist” is used in the broadest sense and includes any molecule that mimics a biological activity of a native CD79b polypeptide. Suitable agonist or antagonist molecules specifically include agonist or antagonist antibodies or antibody fragments, fragments or amino acid sequence variants of native CD79b polypeptides, peptides, antisense oligonucleotides, small organic molecules, etc. Methods for identifying agonists or antagonists of a CD79b polypeptide, may comprise contacting a CD79b polypeptide, with a candidate agonist or antagonist molecule and measuring a detectable change in one or more biological activities normally associated with the CD79b polypeptide.

“Purified” means that a molecule is present in a sample at a concentration of at least 95% by weight, or at least 98% by weight of the sample in which it is contained.

An “isolated” nucleic acid molecule is a nucleic acid molecule that is separated from at least one other nucleic acid molecule with which it is ordinarily associated, for example, in its natural environment. An isolated nucleic acid molecule further includes a nucleic acid molecule contained in cells that ordinarily express the nucleic acid molecule, but the nucleic acid molecule is present extrachromasomally or at a chromosomal location that is different from its natural chromosomal location.

The term “vector,” as used herein, is intended to refer to a nucleic acid molecule capable of transporting another nucleic acid to which it has been linked. One type of vector is a “plasmid”, which refers to a circular double stranded DNA loop into which additional DNA segments may be ligated. Another type of vector is a phage vector. Another type of vector is a viral vector, wherein additional DNA segments may be ligated into the viral genome. Certain vectors are capable of autonomous replication in a host cell into which they are introduced (e.g., bacterial vectors having a bacterial origin of replication and episomal mammalian vectors). Other vectors (e.g., non-episomal mammalian vectors) can be integrated into the genome of a host cell upon introduction into the host cell, and thereby are replicated along with the host genome. Moreover, certain vectors are capable of directing the expression of genes to which they are operatively linked. Such vectors are referred to herein as “recombinant expression vectors” (or simply, “recombinant vectors”). In general, expression vectors of utility in recombinant DNA techniques are often in the form of plasmids. In the present specification, “plasmid” and “vector” may be used interchangeably as the plasmid is the most commonly used form of vector.

“Polynucleotide,” or “nucleic acid,” as used interchangeably herein, refer to polymers of nucleotides of any length, and include DNA and RNA. The nucleotides can be deoxyribonucleotides, ribonucleotides, modified nucleotides or bases, and/or their analogs, or any substrate that can be incorporated into a polymer by DNA or RNA polymerase, or by a synthetic reaction. A polynucleotide may comprise modified nucleotides, such as methylated nucleotides and their analogs. If present, modification to the nucleotide structure may be imparted before or after assembly of the polymer. The sequence of nucleotides may be interrupted by non-nucleotide components. A polynucleotide may be further modified after synthesis, such as by conjugation with a label. Other types of modifications include, for example, “caps”, substitution of one or more of the naturally occurring nucleotides with an analog, internucleotide modifications such as, for example, those with uncharged linkages (e.g., methyl phosphonates, phosphotriesters, phosphoamidates, carbamates, etc.) and with charged linkages (e.g., phosphorothioates, phosphorodithioates, etc.), those containing pendant moieties, such as, for example, proteins (e.g., nucleases, toxins, antibodies, signal peptides, ply-L-lysine, etc.), those with intercalators (e.g., acridine, psoralen, etc.), those containing chelators (e.g., metals, radioactive metals, boron, oxidative metals, etc.), those containing alkylators, those with modified linkages (e.g., alpha anomeric nucleic acids, etc.), as well as unmodified forms of the polynucleotide(s). Further, any of the hydroxyl groups ordinarily present in the sugars may be replaced, for example, by phosphonate groups, phosphate groups, protected by standard protecting groups, or activated to prepare additional linkages to additional nucleotides, or may be conjugated to solid or semi-solid supports. The 5′ and 3′ terminal OH can be phosphorylated or substituted with amines or organic capping group moieties of from 1 to 20 carbon atoms. Other hydroxyls may also be derivatized to standard protecting groups. Polynucleotides can also contain analogous forms of ribose or deoxyribose sugars that are generally known in the art, including, for example, 2′-O-methyl-, 2′-O-allyl, 2′-fluoro- or 2′-azido-ribose, carbocyclic sugar analogs, .alpha.-anomeric sugars, epimeric sugars such as arabinose, xyloses or lyxoses, pyranose sugars, furanose sugars, sedoheptuloses, acyclic analogs and abasic nucleoside analogs such as methyl riboside. One or more phosphodiester linkages may be replaced by alternative linking groups. These alternative linking groups include, but are not limited to, embodiments wherein phosphate is replaced by P(O)S(“thioate”), P(S)S (“dithioate”), “(O)NR.sub.2 (“amidate”), P(O)R, P(O)OR′, CO or CH.sub.2 (“formacetal”), in which each R or R′ is independently H or substituted or unsubstituted alkyl (1-20 C.) optionally containing an ether (—O—) linkage, aryl, alkenyl, cycloalkyl, cycloalkenyl or araldyl. Not all linkages in a polynucleotide need be identical. The preceding description applies to all polynucleotides referred to herein, including RNA and DNA.

“Oligonucleotide,” as used herein, generally refers to short, generally single stranded, generally synthetic polynucleotides that are generally, but not necessarily, less than about 200 nucleotides in length. The terms “oligonucleotide” and “polynucleotide” are not mutually exclusive. The description above for polynucleotides is equally and fully applicable to oligonucleotides.

The terms “cancer” and “cancerous” refer to or describe the physiological condition in mammals that is typically characterized by unregulated cell growth. Examples of cancer include, but are not limited to, hematopoietic cancers or blood-related cancers, such as lymphoma, leukemia, myeloma or lymphoid malignancies, but also cancers of the spleen and cancers of the lymph nodes and also carcinoma, blastoma and sarcoma. More particular examples of cancer include B-cell associated cancers, including for example, high, intermediate and low grade lymphomas (including B cell lymphomas such as, for example, mucosa-associated-lymphoid tissue B cell lymphoma and non-Hodgkin's lymphoma (NHL), mantle cell lymphoma, Burkitt's lymphoma, small lymphocytic lymphoma, marginal zone lymphoma, diffuse large cell lymphoma, follicular lymphoma, and Hodgkin's lymphoma and T cell lymphomas) and leukemias (including secondary leukemia, chronic lymphocytic leukemia (CLL), such as B cell leukemia (CD5+ B lymphocytes), myeloid leukemia, such as acute myeloid leukemia, chronic myeloid leukemia, lymphoid leukemia, such as acute lymphoblastic leukemia (ALL) and myelodysplasia), and other hematological and/or B cell- or T-cell-associated cancers. Also included are cancers of additional hematopoietic cells, including polymorphonuclear leukocytes, such as basophils, eosinophils, neutrophils and monocytes, dendritic cells, platelets, erythrocytes and natural killer cells. Also included are cancerous B cell proliferative disorders selected from the following: lymphoma, non-Hodgkins lymphoma (NHL), aggressive NHL, relapsed aggressive NHL, relapsed indolent NHL, refractory NHL, refractory indolent NHL, chronic lymphocytic leukemia (CLL), small lymphocytic lymphoma, leukemia, hairy cell leukemia (HCL), acute lymphocytic leukemia (ALL), and mantle cell lymphoma. The origins of B-cell cancers include as follows: marginal zone B-cell lymphoma origins in memory B-cells in marginal zone, follicular lymphoma and diffuse large B-cell lymphoma originates in centrocytes in the light zone of germinal centers, chronic lymphocytic leukemia and small lymphocytic leukemia originates in B1 cells (CD5+), mantle cell lymphoma originates in naive B-cells in the mantle zone and Burkitt's lymphoma originates in centroblasts in the dark zone of germinal centers. Tissues which include hematopoietic cells referred herein to as “hematopoietic cell tissues” include thymus and bone marrow and peripheral lymphoid tissues, such as spleen, lymph nodes, lymphoid tissues associated with mucosa, such as the gut-associated lymphoid tissues, tonsils, Peyer's patches and appendix and lymphoid tissues associated with other mucosa, for example, the bronchial linings. Further particular examples of such cancers include squamous cell cancer, small-cell lung cancer, non-small cell lung cancer, adenocarcinoma of the lung, squamous carcinoma of the lung, cancer of the peritoneum, hepatocellular cancer, gastrointestinal cancer, pancreatic cancer, glioma, cervical cancer, ovarian cancer, liver cancer, bladder cancer, hepatoma, breast cancer, colon cancer, colorectal cancer, endometrial or uterine carcinoma, salivary gland carcinoma, kidney cancer, liver cancer, prostate cancer, vulval cancer, thyroid cancer, hepatic carcinoma, leukemia and other lymphoproliferative disorders, and various types of head and neck cancer.

A “B-cell malignancy” herein includes non-Hodgkin's lymphoma (NHL), including low grade/follicular NHL, small lymphocytic (SL) NHL, intermediate grade/follicular NHL, intermediate grade diffuse NHL, high grade immunoblastic NHL, high grade lymphoblastic NHL, high grade small non-cleaved cell NHL, bulky disease NHL, mantle cell lymphoma, AIDS-related lymphoma, and Waldenstrom's Macroglobulinemia, non-Hodgkin's lymphoma (NHL), lymphocyte predominant Hodgkin's disease (LPHD), small lymphocytic lymphoma (SLL), chronic lymphocytic leukemia (CLL), indolent NHL including relapsed indolent NHL and rituximab-refractory indolent NHL; leukemia, including acute lymphoblastic leukemia (ALL), chronic lymphocytic leukemia (CLL), Hairy cell leukemia, chronic myeloblastic leukemia; mantle cell lymphoma; and other hematologic malignancies. Such malignancies may be treated with antibodies directed against B-cell surface markers, such as CD79b. Such diseases are contemplated herein to be treated by the administration of an antibody directed against a B cell surface marker, such as CD79b, and includes the administration of an unconjugated (“naked”) antibody or an antibody conjugated to a cytotoxic agent as disclosed herein. Such diseases are also contemplated herein to be treated by combination therapy including an anti-CD79b antibody or anti-CD79b antibody drug conjugate of the invention in combination with another antibody or antibody drug conjugate, another cytoxic agent, radiation or other treatment administered simultaneously or in series. In exemplary treatment method of the invention, an anti-CD79b antibody of the invention is administered in combination with an anti-CD20 antibody, immunoglobulin, or CD20 binding fragment thereof, either together or sequentially. The anti-CD20 antibody may be a naked antibody or an antibody drug conjugate. In an embodiment of the combination therapy, the anti-CD79b antibody is an antibody of the present invention and the anti-CD20 antibody is Rituxan® (rituximab).

The term “non-Hodgkin's lymphoma” or “NHL”, as used herein, refers to a cancer of the lymphatic system other than Hodgkin's lymphomas. Hodgkin's lymphomas can generally be distinguished from non-Hodgkin's lymphomas by the presence of Reed-Sternberg cells in Hodgkin's lymphomas and the absence of said cells in non-Hodgkin's lymphomas. Examples of non-Hodgkin's lymphomas encompassed by the term as used herein include any that would be identified as such by one skilled in the art (e.g., an oncologist or pathologist) in accordance with classification schemes known in the art, such as the Revised European-American Lymphoma (REAL) scheme as described in Color Atlas of Clinical Hematology (3rd edition), A. Victor Hoffbrand and John E. Pettit (eds.) (Harcourt Publishers Ltd., 2000). See, in particular, the lists in FIGS. 11.57, 11.58 and 11.59. More specific examples include, but are not limited to, relapsed or refractory NHL, front line low grade NHL, Stage III/IV NHL, chemotherapy resistant NHL, precursor B lymphoblastic leukemia and/or lymphoma, small lymphocytic lymphoma, B cell chronic lymphocytic leukemia and/or prolymphocytic leukemia and/or small lymphocytic lymphoma, B-cell prolymphocytic lymphoma, immunocytoma and/or lymphoplasmacytic lymphoma, lymphoplasmacytic lymphoma, marginal zone B cell lymphoma, splenic marginal zone lymphoma, extranodal marginal zone—MALT lymphoma, nodal marginal zone lymphoma, hairy cell leukemia, plasmacytoma and/or plasma cell myeloma, low grade/follicular lymphoma, intermediate grade/follicular NHL, mantle cell lymphoma, follicle center lymphoma (follicular), intermediate grade diffuse NHL, diffuse large B-cell lymphoma, aggressive NHL (including aggressive front-line NHL and aggressive relapsed NHL), NHL relapsing after or refractory to autologous stem cell transplantation, primary mediastinal large B-cell lymphoma, primary effusion lymphoma, high grade immunoblastic NHL, high grade lymphoblastic NHL, high grade small non-cleaved cell NHL, bulky disease NHL, Burkitt's lymphoma, precursor (peripheral) large granular lymphocytic leukemia, mycosis fungoides and/or Sezary syndrome, skin (cutaneous) lymphomas, anaplastic large cell lymphoma, angiocentric lymphoma.

A “disorder” is any condition that would benefit from treatment with a substance/molecule or method of the invention. This includes chronic and acute disorders or diseases including those pathological conditions which predispose the mammal to the disorder in question. Non-limiting examples of disorders to be treated herein include cancerous conditions such as malignant and benign tumors; non-leukemias and lymphoid malignancies; neuronal, glial, astrocytal, hypothalamic and other glandular, macrophagal, epithelial, stromal and blastocoelic disorders; and inflammatory, immunologic and other angiogenesis-related disorders. Disorders further include cancerous conditions such as B cell proliferative disorders and/or B cell tumors, e.g., lymphoma, non-Hodgkins lymphoma (NHL), aggressive NHL, relapsed aggressive NHL, relapsed indolent NHL, refractory NHL, refractory indolent NHL, chronic lymphocytic leukemia (CLL), small lymphocytic lymphoma, leukemia, hairy cell leukemia (HCL), acute lymphocytic leukemia (ALL), and mantle cell lymphoma.

The terms “cell proliferative disorder” and “proliferative disorder” refer to disorders that are associated with some degree of abnormal cell proliferation. In one embodiment, the cell proliferative disorder is cancer.

“Tumor”, as used herein, refers to all neoplastic cell growth and proliferation, whether malignant or benign, and all pre-cancerous and cancerous cells and tissues.

An “autoimmune disease” herein is a disease or disorder arising from and directed against an individual's own tissues or organs or a co-segregate or manifestation thereof or resulting condition therefrom. In many of these autoimmune and inflammatory disorders, a number of clinical and laboratory markers may exist, including, but not limited to, hypergammaglobulinemia, high levels of autoantibodies, antigen-antibody complex deposits in tissues, benefit from corticosteroid or immunosuppressive treatments, and lymphoid cell aggregates in affected tissues. Without being limited to any one theory regarding B-cell mediated autoimmune disease, it is believed that B cells demonstrate a pathogenic effect in human autoimmune diseases through a multitude of mechanistic pathways, including autoantibody production, immune complex formation, dendritic and T-cell activation, cytokine synthesis, direct chemokine release, and providing a nidus for ectopic neo-lymphogenesis. Each of these pathways may participate to different degrees in the pathology of autoimmune diseases.

“Autoimmune disease” can be an organ-specific disease (i.e., the immune response is specifically directed against an organ system such as the endocrine system, the hematopoietic system, the skin, the cardiopulmonary system, the gastrointestinal and liver systems, the renal system, the thyroid, the ears, the neuromuscular system, the central nervous system, etc.) or a systemic disease which can affect multiple organ systems (for example, systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE), rheumatoid arthritis, polymyositis, etc.). Preferred such diseases include autoimmune rheumatologic disorders (such as, for example, rheumatoid arthritis, Sjogren's syndrome, scleroderma, lupus such as SLE and lupus nephritis, polymyositis/dermatomyositis, cryoglobulinemia, anti-phospholipid antibody syndrome, and psoriatic arthritis), autoimmune gastrointestinal and liver disorders (such as, for example, inflammatory bowel diseases (e.g., ulcerative colitis and Crohn's disease), autoimmune gastritis and pernicious anemia, autoimmune hepatitis, primary biliary cirrhosis, primary sclerosing cholangitis, and celiac disease), vasculitis (such as, for example, ANCA-negative vasculitis and ANCA-associated vasculitis, including Churg-Strauss vasculitis, Wegener's granulomatosis, and microscopic polyangiitis), autoimmune neurological disorders (such as, for example, multiple sclerosis, opsoclonus myoclonus syndrome, myasthenia gravis, neuromyelitis optica, Parkinson's disease, Alzheimer's disease, and autoimmune polyneuropathies), renal disorders (such as, for example, glomerulonephritis, Goodpasture's syndrome, and Berger's disease), autoimmune dermatologic disorders (such as, for example, psoriasis, urticaria, hives, pemphigus vulgaris, bullous pemphigoid, and cutaneous lupus erythematosus), hematologic disorders (such as, for example, thrombocytopenic purpura, thrombotic thrombocytopenic purpura, post-transfusion purpura, and autoimmune hemolytic anemia), atherosclerosis, uveitis, autoimmune hearing diseases (such as, for example, inner ear disease and hearing loss), Behcet's disease, Raynaud's syndrome, organ transplant, and autoimmune endocrine disorders (such as, for example, diabetic-related autoimmune diseases such as insulin-dependent diabetes mellitus (IDDM), Addison's disease, and autoimmune thyroid disease (e.g., Graves' disease and thyroiditis)). More preferred such diseases include, for example, rheumatoid arthritis, ulcerative colitis, ANCA-associated vasculitis, lupus, multiple sclerosis, Sjogren's syndrome, Graves' disease, IDDM, pernicious anemia, thyroiditis, and glomerulonephritis.

Specific examples of other autoimmune diseases as defined herein, which in some cases encompass those listed above, include, but are not limited to, arthritis (acute and chronic, rheumatoid arthritis including juvenile-onset rheumatoid arthritis and stages such as rheumatoid synovitis, gout or gouty arthritis, acute immunological arthritis, chronic inflammatory arthritis, degenerative arthritis, type II collagen-induced arthritis, infectious arthritis, Lyme arthritis, proliferative arthritis, psoriatic arthritis, Still's disease, vertebral arthritis, osteoarthritis, arthritis chronica progrediente, arthritis deformans, polyarthritis chronica primaria, reactive arthritis, menopausal arthritis, estrogen-depletion arthritis, and ankylosing spondylitis/rheumatoid spondylitis), autoimmune lymphoproliferative disease, inflammatory hyperproliferative skin diseases, psoriasis such as plaque psoriasis, gutatte psoriasis, pustular psoriasis, and psoriasis of the nails, atopy including atopic diseases such as hay fever and Job's syndrome, dermatitis including contact dermatitis, chronic contact dermatitis, exfoliative dermatitis, allergic dermatitis, allergic contact dermatitis, hives, dermatitis herpetiformis, nummular dermatitis, seborrheic dermatitis, non-specific dermatitis, primary irritant contact dermatitis, and atopic dermatitis, x-linked hyper IgM syndrome, allergic intraocular inflammatory diseases, urticaria such as chronic allergic urticaria and chronic idiopathic urticaria, including chronic autoimmune urticaria, myositis, polymyositis/dermatomyositis, juvenile dermatomyositis, toxic epidermal necrolysis, scleroderma (including systemic scleroderma), sclerosis such as systemic sclerosis, multiple sclerosis (MS) such as spino-optical MS, primary progressive MS (PPMS), and relapsing remitting MS (RRMS), progressive systemic sclerosis, atherosclerosis, arteriosclerosis, sclerosis disseminata, ataxic sclerosis, neuromyelitis optica (NMO), inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) (for example, Crohn's disease, autoimmune-mediated gastrointestinal diseases, gastrointestinal inflammation, colitis such as ulcerative colitis, colitis ulcerosa, microscopic colitis, collagenous colitis, colitis polyposa, necrotizing enterocolitis, and transmural colitis, and autoimmune inflammatory bowel disease), bowel inflammation, pyoderma gangrenosum, erythema nodosum, primary sclerosing cholangitis, respiratory distress syndrome, including adult or acute respiratory distress syndrome (ARDS), meningitis, inflammation of all or part of the uvea, iritis, choroiditis, an autoimmune hematological disorder, graft-versus-host disease, angioedema such as hereditary angioedema, cranial nerve damage as in meningitis, herpes gestationis, pemphigoid gestationis, pruritis scroti, autoimmune premature ovarian failure, sudden hearing loss due to an autoimmune condition, IgE-mediated diseases such as anaphylaxis and allergic and atopic rhinitis, encephalitis such as Rasmussen's encephalitis and limbic and/or brainstem encephalitis, uveitis, such as anterior uveitis, acute anterior uveitis, granulomatous uveitis, nongranulomatous uveitis, phacoantigenic uveitis, posterior uveitis, or autoimmune uveitis, glomerulonephritis (GN) with and without nephrotic syndrome such as chronic or acute glomerulonephritis such as primary GN, immune-mediated GN, membranous GN (membranous nephropathy), idiopathic membranous GN or idiopathic membranous nephropathy, membrano- or membranous proliferative GN (MPGN), including Type I and Type II, and rapidly progressive GN (RPGN), proliferative nephritis, autoimmune polyglandular endocrine failure, balanitis including balanitis circumscripta plasmacellularis, balanoposthitis, erythema annulare centrifugum, erythema dyschromicum perstans, eythema multiform, granuloma annulare, lichen nitidus, lichen sclerosus et atrophicus, lichen simplex chronicus, lichen spinulosus, lichen planus, lamellar ichthyosis, epidermolytic hyperkeratosis, premalignant keratosis, pyoderma gangrenosum, allergic conditions and responses, food allergies, drug allergies, insect allergies, rare allergic disorders such as mastocytosis, allergic reaction, eczema including allergic or atopic eczema, asteatotic eczema, dyshidrotic eczema, and vesicular palmoplantar eczema, asthma such as asthma bronchiale, bronchial asthma, and auto-immune asthma, conditions involving infiltration of T cells and chronic inflammatory responses, immune reactions against foreign antigens such as fetal A-B-O blood groups during pregnancy, chronic pulmonary inflammatory disease, autoimmune myocarditis, leukocyte adhesion deficiency, lupus, including lupus nephritis, lupus cerebritis, pediatric lupus, non-renal lupus, extra-renal lupus, discoid lupus and discoid lupus erythematosus, alopecia lupus, SLE, such as cutaneous SLE or subacute cutaneous SLE, neonatal lupus syndrome (NLE), and lupus erythematosus disseminatus, juvenile onset (Type I) diabetes mellitus, including pediatric IDDM, adult onset diabetes mellitus (Type II diabetes), autoimmune diabetes, idiopathic diabetes insipidus, diabetic retinopathy, diabetic nephropathy, diabetic colitis, diabetic large-artery disorder, immune responses associated with acute and delayed hypersensitivity mediated by cytokines and T-lymphocytes, tuberculosis, sarcoidosis, granulomatosis including lymphomatoid granulomatosis, agranulocytosis, vasculitides (including large-vessel vasculitis such as polymyalgia rheumatica and giant-cell (Takayasu's) arteritis, medium-vessel vasculitis such as Kawasaki's disease and polyarteritis nodosa/periarteritis nodosa, immunovasculitis, CNS vasculitis, cutaneous vasculitis, hypersensitivity vasculitis, necrotizing vasculitis such as fibrinoid necrotizing vasculitis and systemic necrotizing vasculitis, ANCA-negative vasculitis, and ANCA-associated vasculitis such as Churg-Strauss syndrome (CSS), Wegener's granulomatosis, and microscopic polyangiitis), temporal arteritis, aplastic anemia, autoimmune aplastic anemia, Coombs positive anemia, Diamond Blackfan anemia, hemolytic anemia or immune hemolytic anemia including autoimmune hemolytic anemia (AIHA), pernicious anemia (anemia perniciosa), Addison's disease, pure red cell anemia or aplasia (PRCA), Factor VIII deficiency, hemophilia A, autoimmune neutropenia(s), cytopenias such as pancytopenia, leukopenia, diseases involving leukocyte diapedesis, CNS inflammatory disorders, Alzheimer's disease, Parkinson's disease, multiple organ injury syndrome such as those secondary to septicemia, trauma or hemorrhage, antigen-antibody complex- mediated diseases, anti-glomerular basement membrane disease, anti-phospholipid antibody syndrome, motoneuritis, allergic neuritis, Behget's disease/syndrome, Castleman's syndrome, Goodpasture's syndrome, Reynaud's syndrome, Sjogren's syndrome, Stevens-Johnson syndrome, pemphigoid or pemphigus such as pemphigoid bullous, cicatricial (mucous membrane) pemphigoid, skin pemphigoid, pemphigus vulgaris, paraneoplastic pemphigus, pemphigus foliaceus, pemphigus mucus-membrane pemphigoid, and pemphigus erythematosus, epidermolysis bullosa acquisita, ocular inflammation, preferably allergic ocular inflammation such as allergic conjunctivis, linear IgA bullous disease, autoimmune-induced conjunctival inflammation, autoimmune polyendocrinopathies, Reiter's disease or syndrome, thermal injury due to an autoimmune condition, preeclampsia, an immune complex disorder such as immune complex nephritis, antibody-mediated nephritis, neuroinflammatory disorders, polyneuropathies, chronic neuropathy such as IgM polyneuropathies or IgM-mediated neuropathy, thrombocytopenia (as developed by myocardial infarction patients, for example), including thrombotic thrombocytopenic purpura (TTP), post-transfusion purpura (PTP), heparin-induced thrombocytopenia, and autoimmune or immune-mediated thrombocytopenia including, for example, idiopathic thrombocytopenic purpura (ITP) including chronic or acute ITP, scleritis such as idiopathic cerato-scleritis, episcleritis, autoimmune disease of the testis and ovary including autoimmune orchitis and oophoritis, primary hypothyroidism, hypoparathyroidism, autoimmune endocrine diseases including thyroiditis such as autoimmune thyroiditis, Hashimoto's disease, chronic thyroiditis (Hashimoto's thyroiditis), or subacute thyroiditis, autoimmune thyroid disease, idiopathic hypothyroidism, Grave's disease, Grave's eye disease (ophthalmopathy or thyroid-associated ophthalmopathy), polyglandular syndromes such as autoimmune polyglandular syndromes, for example, type I (or polyglandular endocrinopathy syndromes), paraneoplastic syndromes, including neurologic paraneoplastic syndromes such as Lambert-Eaton myasthenic syndrome or Eaton-Lambert syndrome, stiff-man or stiff-person syndrome, encephalomyelitis such as allergic encephalomyelitis or encephalomyelitis allergica and experimental allergic encephalomyelitis (EAE), myasthenia gravis such as thymoma-associated myasthenia gravis, cerebellar degeneration, neuromyotonia, opsoclonus or opsoclonus myoclonus syndrome (OMS), and sensory neuropathy, multifocal motor neuropathy, Sheehan's syndrome, autoimmune hepatitis, chronic hepatitis, lupoid hepatitis, giant-cell hepatitis, chronic active hepatitis or autoimmune chronic active hepatitis, pneumonitis such as lymphoid interstitial pneumonitis (LIP), bronchiolitis obliterans (non-transplant) vs NSIP, Guillain-Barrë syndrome, Berger's disease (IgA nephropathy), idiopathic IgA nephropathy, linear IgA dermatosis, acute febrile neutrophilic dermatosis, subcorneal pustular dermatosis, transient acantholytic dermatosis, cirrhosis such as primary biliary cirrhosis and pneumonocirrhosis, autoimmune enteropathy syndrome, Celiac or Coeliac disease, celiac sprue (gluten enteropathy), refractory sprue, idiopathic sprue, cryoglobulinemia such as mixed cryoglobulinemia, amylotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS; Lou Gehrig's disease), coronary artery disease, autoimmune ear disease such as autoimmune inner ear disease (AIED), autoimmune hearing loss, polychondritis such as refractory or relapsed or relapsing polychondritis, pulmonary alveolar proteinosis, keratitis such as Cogan's syndrome/nonsyphilitic interstitial keratitis, Bell's palsy, Sweet's disease/syndrome, rosacea autoimmune, zoster-associated pain, amyloidosis, a non-cancerous lymphocytosis, a primary lymphocytosis, which includes monoclonal B cell lymphocytosis (e.g., benign monoclonal gammopathy and monoclonal gammopathy of undetermined significance, MGUS), peripheral neuropathy, paraneoplastic syndrome, channelopathies such as epilepsy, migraine, arrhythmia, muscular disorders, deafness, blindness, periodic paralysis, and channelopathies of the CNS, autism, inflammatory myopathy, focal or segmental or focal segmental glomerulosclerosis (FSGS), endocrine ophthalmopathy, uveoretinitis, chorioretinitis, autoimmune hepatological disorder, fibromyalgia, multiple endocrine failure, Schmidt's syndrome, adrenalitis, gastric atrophy, presenile dementia, demyelinating diseases such as autoimmune demyelinating diseases and chronic inflammatory demyelinating polyneuropathy, Dressler's syndrome, alopecia areata, alopecia totalis, CREST syndrome (calcinosis, Raynaud's phenomenon, esophageal dysmotility, sclerodactyly, and telangiectasia), male and female autoimmune infertility, e.g., due to anti-spermatozoan antibodies, mixed connective tissue disease, Chagas' disease, rheumatic fever, recurrent abortion, farmer's lung, erythema multiforme, post-cardiotomy syndrome, Cushing's syndrome, bird-fancier's lung, allergic granulomatous angiitis, benign lymphocytic angiitis, Alport's syndrome, alveolitis such as allergic alveolitis and fibrosing alveolitis, interstitial lung disease, transfusion reaction, leprosy, malaria, parasitic diseases such as leishmaniasis, kypanosomiasis, schistosomiasis, ascariasis, aspergillosis, Sampter's syndrome, Caplan's syndrome, dengue, endocarditis, endomyocardial fibrosis, diffuse interstitial pulmonary fibrosis, interstitial lung fibrosis, fibrosing mediastinitis, pulmonary fibrosis, idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis, cystic fibrosis, endophthalmitis, erythema elevatum et diutinum, erythroblastosis fetalis, eosinophilic faciitis, Shulman's syndrome, Felty's syndrome, flariasis, cyclitis such as chronic cyclitis, heterochronic cyclitis, iridocyclitis (acute or chronic), or Fuch's cyclitis, Henoch-Schonlein purpura, human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) infection, SCID, acquired immune deficiency syndrome (AIDS), echovirus infection, sepsis (systemic inflammatory response syndrome (SIRS)), endotoxemia, pancreatitis, thyroxicosis, parvovirus infection, rubella virus infection, post-vaccination syndromes, congenital rubella infection, Epstein-Barr virus infection, mumps, Evan's syndrome, autoimmune gonadal failure, Sydenham's chorea, post-streptococcal nephritis, thromboangitis ubiterans, thyrotoxicosis, tabes dorsalis, chorioiditis, giant-cell polymyalgia, chronic hypersensitivity pneumonitis, conjunctivitis, such as vernal catarrh, keratoconjunctivitis sicca, and epidemic keratoconjunctivitis, idiopathic nephritic syndrome, minimal change nephropathy, benign familial and ischemia-reperfusion injury, transplant organ reperfusion, retinal autoimmunity, joint inflammation, bronchitis, chronic obstructive airway/pulmonary disease, silicosis, aphthae, aphthous stomatitis, arteriosclerotic disorders (cerebral vascular insufficiency) such as arteriosclerotic encephalopathy and arteriosclerotic retinopathy, aspermiogenese, autoimmune hemolysis, Boeck's disease, cryoglobulinemia, Dupuytren's contracture, endophthalmia phacoanaphylactica, enteritis allergica, erythema nodosum leprosum, idiopathic facial paralysis, chronic fatigue syndrome, febris rheumatica, Hamman-Rich's disease, sensoneural hearing loss, haemoglobinuria paroxysmatica, hypogonadism, ileitis regionalis, leucopenia, mononucleosis infectios a, traverse myelitis, primary idiopathic myxedema, nephrosis, ophthalmia symphatica (sympathetic ophthalmitis), neonatal ophthalmitis, optic neuritis, orchitis granulomatosa, pancreatitis, polyradiculitis acuta, pyoderma gangrenosum, Quervain's thyreoiditis, acquired spenic atrophy, non-malignant thymoma, lymphofollicular thymitis, vitiligo, toxic-shock syndrome, food poisoning, conditions involving infiltration of T cells, leukocyte-adhesion deficiency, immune responses associated with acute and delayed hypersensitivity mediated by cytokines and T-lymphocytes, diseases involving leukocyte diapedesis, multiple organ injury syndrome, antigen-antibody complex-mediated diseases, antiglomerular basement membrane disease, autoimmune polyendocrinopathies, oophoritis, primary myxedema, autoimmune atrophic gastritis, rheumatic diseases, mixed connective tissue disease, nephrotic syndrome, insulitis, polyendocrine failure, autoimmune polyglandular syndromes, including polyglandular syndrome type I, adult-onset idiopathic hypoparathyroidism (AOIH), cardiomyopathy such as dilated cardiomyopathy, epidermolisis bullosa acquisita (EBA), hemochromatosis, myocarditis, nephrotic syndrome, primary sclerosing cholangitis, purulent or nonpurulent sinusitis, acute or chronic sinusitis, ethmoid, frontal, maxillary, or sphenoid sinusitis, allergic sinusitis, an eosinophil-related disorder such as eosinophilia, pulmonary infiltration eosinophilia, eosinophilia-myalgia syndrome, Loffler's syndrome, chronic eosinophilic pneumonia, tropical pulmonary eosinophilia, bronchopneumonic aspergillosis, aspergilloma, or granulomas containing eosinophils, anaphylaxis, spondyloarthropathies, seronegative spondyloarthritides, polyendocrine autoimmune disease, sclerosing cholangitis, sclera, episclera, chronic mucocutaneous candidiasis, Bruton's syndrome, transient hypogammaglobulinemia of infancy, Wiskott-Aldrich syndrome, ataxia telangiectasia syndrome, angiectasis, autoimmune disorders associated with collagen disease, rheumatism such as chronic arthrorheumatism, lymphadenitis, reduction in blood pressure response, vascular dysfunction, tissue injury, cardiovascular ischemia, hyperalgesia, renal ischemia, cerebral ischemia, and disease accompanying vascularization, allergic hypersensitivity disorders, glomerulonephritides, reperfusion injury, ischemic re-perfusion disorder, reperfusion injury of myocardial or other tissues, lymphomatous tracheobronchitis, inflammatory dermatoses, dermatoses with acute inflammatory components, multiple organ failure, bullous diseases, renal cortical necrosis, acute purulent meningitis or other central nervous system inflammatory disorders, ocular and orbital inflammatory disorders, granulocyte transfusion-associated syndromes, cytokine-induced toxicity, narcolepsy, acute serious inflammation, chronic intractable inflammation, pyelitis, endarterial hyperplasia, peptic ulcer, valvulitis, and endometriosis. Such diseases are contemplated herein to be treated by the administration of an antibody which binds to a B cell surface marker, such as CD79b, and includes the administration of an unconjugated (“naked”) antibody or an antibody conjugated to a cytotoxic agent as disclosed herein. Such diseases are also contemplated herein to be treated by combination therapy including an anti-CD79b antibody or anti-CD79b antibody drug conjugate of the invention in combination with another antibody or antibody drug conjugate, another cytoxic agent, radiation or other treatment administered simultaneously or in series.

“Treating” or “treatment” or “alleviation” refers to both therapeutic treatment and prophylactic or preventative measures, wherein the object is to prevent or slow down (lessen) the targeted pathologic condition or disorder. Those in need of treatment include those already with the disorder as well as those prone to have the disorder or those in whom the disorder is to be prevented. A subject or mammal is successfully “treated” for a CD79b polypeptide-expressing cancer if, after receiving a therapeutic amount of an anti-CD79b antibody according to the methods of the present invention, the patient shows observable and/or measurable reduction in or absence of one or more of the following: reduction in the number of cancer cells or absence of the cancer cells; reduction in the tumor size; inhibition (i.e., slow to some extent and preferably stop) of cancer cell infiltration into peripheral organs including the spread of cancer into soft tissue and bone; inhibition (i.e., slow to some extent and preferably stop) of tumor metastasis; inhibition, to some extent, of tumor growth; and/or relief to some extent, one or more of the symptoms associated with the specific cancer; reduced morbidity and mortality, and improvement in quality of life issues. To the extent the anti-CD79b antibody may prevent growth and/or kill existing cancer cells, it may be cytostatic and/or cytotoxic. Reduction of these signs or symptoms may also be felt by the patient.

The above parameters for assessing successful treatment and improvement in the disease are readily measurable by routine procedures familiar to a physician. For cancer therapy, efficacy can be measured, for example, by assessing the time to disease progression (TTP) and/or determining the response rate (RR). Metastasis can be determined by staging tests and by bone scan and tests for calcium level and other enzymes to determine spread to the bone. CT scans can also be done to look for spread to the pelvis and lymph nodes in the area. Chest X-rays and measurement of liver enzyme levels by known methods are used to look for metastasis to the lungs and liver, respectively. Other routine methods for monitoring the disease include transrectal ultrasonography (TRUS) and transrectal needle biopsy (TRNB).

For bladder cancer, which is a more localized cancer, methods to determine progress of disease include urinary cytologic evaluation by cystoscopy, monitoring for presence of blood in the urine, visualization of the urothelial tract by sonography or an intravenous pyelogram, computed tomography (CT) and magnetic resonance imaging (MRI). The presence of distant metastases can be assessed by CT of the abdomen, chest x-rays, or radionuclide imaging of the skeleton.

“Chronic” administration refers to administration of the agent(s) in a continuous mode as opposed to an acute mode, so as to maintain the initial therapeutic effect (activity) for an extended period of time. “Intermittent” administration is treatment that is not consecutively done without interruption, but rather is cyclic in nature.

An “individual” is a vertebrate. In certain embodiments, the vertebrate is a mammal. Mammals include, but are not limited to, farm animals (such as cows), sport animals, pets (such as cats, dogs, and horses), primates, mice and rats. In certain embodiments, a mammal is a human.

“Mammal” for purposes of the treatment of, alleviating the symptoms of a cancer refers to any animal classified as a mammal, including humans, domestic and farm animals, and zoo, sports, or pet animals, such as dogs, cats, cattle, horses, sheep, pigs, goats, rabbits, etc. Preferably, the mammal is human.

Administration “in combination with” one or more further therapeutic agents includes simultaneous (concurrent) and consecutive administration in any order.

“Carriers” as used herein include pharmaceutically acceptable carriers, excipients, or stabilizers which are nontoxic to the cell or mammal being exposed thereto at the dosages and concentrations employed. Often the physiologically acceptable carrier is an aqueous pH buffered solution. Examples of physiologically acceptable carriers include buffers such as phosphate, citrate, and other organic acids; antioxidants including ascorbic acid; low molecular weight (less than about 10 residues) polypeptide; proteins, such as serum albumin, gelatin, or immunoglobulins; hydrophilic polymers such as polyvinylpyrrolidone; amino acids such as glycine, glutamine, asparagine, arginine or lysine; monosaccharides, disaccharides, and other carbohydrates including glucose, mannose, or dextrins; chelating agents such as EDTA; sugar alcohols such as mannitol or sorbitol; salt-forming counterions such as sodium; and/or nonionic surfactants such as TWEEN®, polyethylene glycol (PEG), and PLURONICS®.

By “solid phase” or “solid support” is meant a non-aqueous matrix to which an antibody of the present invention can adhere or attach. Examples of solid phases encompassed herein include those formed partially or entirely of glass (e.g., controlled pore glass), polysaccharides (e.g., agarose), polyacrylamides, polystyrene, polyvinyl alcohol and silicones. In certain embodiments, depending on the context, the solid phase can comprise the well of an assay plate; in others it is a purification column (e.g., an affinity chromatography column). This term also includes a discontinuous solid phase of discrete particles, such as those described in U.S. Pat. No. 4,275,149.

A “liposome” is a small vesicle composed of various types of lipids, phospholipids and/or surfactant which is useful for delivery of a drug (such as an CD79b antibody) to a mammal. The components of the liposome are commonly arranged in a bilayer formation, similar to the lipid arrangement of biological membranes.

A “small” molecule or “small” organic molecule is defined herein to have a molecular weight below about 500 Daltons.

An “individual,” “subject,” or “patient” is a vertebrate. In certain embodiments, the vertebrate is a mammal. mammals include, but are not limited to, farm animals (such as cows), sport animals, pets (such as cats, dogs, and horses), primates, mice and rats. In certain embodiments, a mammal is human.

The term “pharmaceutical formulation” refers to a preparation which is in such form as to permit the biological activity of the active ingredient to be effective, and which contains no additional components which are unacceptably toxic to a subject to which the formulation would be administered. Such formulation may be sterile.

A “sterile” formulation is aseptic of free from all living microorganisms and their spores.

An “effective amount” of an antibody as disclosed herein is an amount sufficient to carry out a specifically stated purpose. An “effective amount” may be determined empirically and in a routine manner, in relation to the stated purpose.

The term “therapeutically effective amount” refers to an amount of an antibody or other drug effective to “treat” a disease or disorder in a subject or mammal. In the case of cancer, the therapeutically effective amount of the drug may reduce the number of cancer cells; reduce the tumor size; inhibit (i.e., slow to some extent and preferably stop) cancer cell infiltration into peripheral organs; inhibit (i.e., slow to some extent and preferably stop) tumor metastasis; inhibit, to some extent, tumor growth; and/or relieve to some extent one or more of the symptoms associated with the cancer. See the definition herein of “treating”. To the extent the drug may prevent growth and/or kill existing cancer cells, it may be cytostatic and/or cytotoxic. A “prophylactically effective amount” refers to an amount effective, at dosages and for periods of time necessary, to achieve the desired prophylactic result. Typically but not necessarily, since a prophylactic dose is used in subjects prior to or at an earlier stage of disease, the prophylactically effective amount will be less than the therapeutically effective amount.

A “growth inhibitory amount” of an anti-CD79b antibody is an amount capable of inhibiting the growth of a cell, especially tumor, e.g., cancer cell, either in vitro or in vivo. A “growth inhibitory amount” of an anti-CD79b antibody for purposes of inhibiting neoplastic cell growth may be determined empirically and in a routine manner.

A “cytotoxic amount” of an anti-CD79b antibody is an amount capable of causing the destruction of a cell, especially tumor, e.g., cancer cell, either in vitro or in vivo. A “cytotoxic amount” of an anti-CD79b antibody for purposes of inhibiting neoplastic cell growth may be determined empirically and in a routine manner.

A “CD79b-expressing cell” is a cell which expresses an endogenous or transfected CD79b polypeptide either on the cell surface or in a secreted form. A “CD79b-expressing cancer” is a cancer comprising cells that have a CD79b polypeptide present on the cell surface or that produce and secrete a CD79b polypeptide. A “CD79b-expressing cancer” optionally produces sufficient levels of CD79b polypeptide on the surface of cells thereof, such that an anti-CD79b antibody can bind thereto and have a therapeutic effect with respect to the cancer. In another embodiment, a “CD79b-expressing cancer” optionally produces and secretes sufficient levels of CD79b polypeptide, such that an anti-CD79b antibody antagonist can bind thereto and have a therapeutic effect with respect to the cancer. With regard to the latter, the antagonist may be an antisense oligonucleotide which reduces, inhibits or prevents production and secretion of the secreted CD79b polypeptide by tumor cells. A cancer which “overexpresses” a CD79b polypeptide is one which has significantly higher levels of CD79b polypeptide at the cell surface thereof, or produces and secretes, compared to a noncancerous cell of the same tissue type. Such overexpression may be caused by gene amplification or by increased transcription or translation. CD79b polypeptide overexpression may be determined in a detection or prognostic assay by evaluating increased levels of the CD79b protein present on the surface of a cell, or secreted by the cell (e.g., via an immunohistochemistry assay using anti-CD79b antibodies prepared against an isolated CD79b polypeptide which may be prepared using recombinant DNA technology from an isolated nucleic acid encoding the CD79b polypeptide; FACS analysis, etc.). Alternatively, or additionally, one may measure levels of CD79b polypeptide-encoding nucleic acid or mRNA in the cell, e.g., via fluorescent in situ hybridization using a nucleic acid based probe corresponding to a CD79b-encoding nucleic acid or the complement thereof; (FISH; see WO98/45479 published October, 1998), Southern blotting, Northern blotting, or polymerase chain reaction (PCR) techniques, such as real time quantitative PCR (RT-PCR). One may also study CD79b polypeptide overexpression by measuring shed antigen in a biological fluid such as serum, e.g., using antibody-based assays (see also, e.g., U.S. Pat. No. 4,933,294 issued Jun. 12, 1990; WO91/05264 published Apr. 18, 1991; U.S. Pat. No. 5,401,638 issued Mar. 28, 1995; and Sias et al., J. Immunol. Methods 132:73-80 (1990)). Aside from the above assays, various in vivo assays are available to the skilled practitioner. For example, one may expose cells within the body of the patient to an antibody which is optionally labeled with a detectable label, e.g., a radioactive isotope, and binding of the antibody to cells in the patient can be evaluated, e.g., by external scanning for radioactivity or by analyzing a biopsy taken from a patient previously exposed to the antibody.

As used herein, the term “immunoadhesin” designates antibody-like molecules which combine the binding specificity of a heterologous protein (an “adhesin”) with the effector functions of immunoglobulin constant domains. Structurally, the immunoadhesins comprise a fusion of an amino acid sequence with the desired binding specificity which is other than the antigen recognition and binding site of an antibody (i.e., is “heterologous”), and an immunoglobulin constant domain sequence. The adhesin part of an immunoadhesin molecule typically is a contiguous amino acid sequence comprising at least the binding site of a receptor or a ligand. The immunoglobulin constant domain sequence in the immunoadhesin may be obtained from any immunoglobulin, such as IgG-1, IgG-2, IgG-3, or IgG-4 subtypes, IgA (including IgA-1 and IgA-2), IgE, IgD or IgM.

The word “label” when used herein refers to a detectable compound or composition which is conjugated directly or indirectly to the antibody so as to generate a “labeled” antibody. The label may be detectable by itself (e.g. radioisotope labels or fluorescent labels) or, in the case of an enzymatic label, may catalyze chemical alteration of a substrate compound or composition which is detectable.

The term “cytotoxic agent” as used herein refers to a substance that inhibits or prevents the function of cells and/or causes destruction of cells. The term is intended to include radioactive isotopes (e.g., At²¹¹, I¹³¹, I¹²⁵, Y⁹⁰, Re¹⁸⁶, Re¹⁸⁸, Sm¹⁵³, Bi²¹², p³² and radioactive isotopes of Lu), chemotherapeutic agents e.g. methotrexate, adriamicin, vinca alkaloids (vincristine, vinblastine, etoposide), doxorubicin, melphalan, mitomycin C, chlorambucil, daunorubicin or other intercalating agents, enzymes and fragments thereof such as nucleolytic enzymes, antibiotics, and toxins such as small molecule toxins or enzymatically active toxins of bacterial, fungal, plant or animal origin, including fragments and/or variants thereof, and the various antitumor or anticancer agents disclosed below. Other cytotoxic agents are described below. A tumoricidal agent causes destruction of tumor cells.

A “toxin” is any substance capable of having a detrimental effect on the growth or proliferation of a cell.

A “chemotherapeutic agent” is a chemical compound useful in the treatment of cancer, regardless of mechanism of action. Classes of chemotherapeutic agents include, but are not limited to: alkyating agents, antimetabolites, spindle poison plant alkaloids, cytoxic/antitumor antibiotics, topoisomerase inhibitors, antibodies, photosensitizers, and kinase inhibitors. Chemotherapeutic agents include compounds used in “targeted therapy” and conventional chemotherapy. Examples of chemotherapeutic agents include: erlotinib (TARCEVA®, Genentech/OSI Pharm.), docetaxel (TAXOTERE®, Sanofi-Aventis), 5-FU (fluorouracil, 5-fluorouracil, CAS No. 51-21-8), gemcitabine (GEMZAR®, Lilly), PD-0325901 (CAS No. 391210-10-9, Pfizer), cisplatin (cis-diamine,dichloroplatinum(II), CAS No. 15663-27-1), carboplatin (CAS No. 41575-94-4), paclitaxel (TAXOL®, Bristol-Myers Squibb Oncology, Princeton, N.J.), trastuzumab (HERCEPTIN®, Genentech), temozolomide (4-methyl-5-oxo- 2,3,4,6,8-pentazabicyclo [4.3.0] nona-2,7,9-triene- 9-carboxamide, CAS No. 85622-93-1, TEMODAR®, TEMODAL®, Schering Plough), tamoxifen ((Z)-2-[4-(1,2-diphenylbut-1-enyephenoxy]-N,N-dimethyl-ethanamine, NOLVADEX®, ISTUBAL®, VALODEX®), and doxorubicin (ADRIAMYCIN®), Akti-1/2, HPPD, and rapamycin.

More examples of chemotherapeutic agents include: oxaliplatin (ELOXATIN®, Sanofi), bortezomib (VELCADE®, Millennium Pharm.), sutent (SUNITINIB®, SU11248, Pfizer), letrozole (FEMARA®, Novartis), imatinib mesylate (GLEEVEC®, Novartis), XL-518 (Mek inhibitor, Exelixis, WO 2007/044515), ARRY-886 (Mek inhibitor, AZD6244, Array BioPharma, Astra Zeneca), SF-1126 (PI3K inhibitor, Semafore Pharmaceuticals), BEZ-235 (PI3K inhibitor, Novartis), XL-147 (PI3K inhibitor, Exelixis), PTK787/ZK 222584 (Novartis), fulvestrant (FASLODEX®, AstraZeneca), leucovorin (folinic acid), rapamycin (sirolimus, RAPAMUNE®, Wyeth), lapatinib (TYKERB®, GSK572016, Glaxo Smith Kline), lonafarnib (SARASAR™, SCH 66336, Schering Plough), sorafenib (NEXAVAR®, BAY43-9006, Bayer Labs), gefitinib (IRESSA®, AstraZeneca), irinotecan (CAMPTOSAR®, CPT-11, Pfizer), tipifarnib (ZARNESTRATM, Johnson & Johnson), ABRAXANE™ (Cremophor-free), albumin-engineered nanoparticle formulations of paclitaxel (American Pharmaceutical Partners, Schaumberg, Il), vandetanib (rINN, ZD6474, ZACTIMA®, AstraZeneca), chloranmbucil, AG1478, AG1571 (SU 5271; Sugen), temsirolimus (TORISEL®, Wyeth), pazopanib (GlaxoSmithKline), canfosfamide (TELCYTA®, Telik), thiotepa and cyclosphosphamide (CYTOXAN®, NEOSAR®); alkyl sulfonates such as busulfan, improsulfan and piposulfan; aziridines such as benzodopa, carboquone, meturedopa, and uredopa; ethylenimines and methylamelamines including altretamine, triethylenemelamine, triethylenephosphoramide, triethylenethiophosphoramide and trimethylomelamine; acetogenins (especially bullatacin and bullatacinone); a camptothecin (including the synthetic analog topotecan); bryostatin; callystatin; CC-1065 (including its adozelesin, carzelesin and bizelesin synthetic analogs); cryptophycins (particularly cryptophycin 1 and cryptophycin 8); dolastatin; duocarmycin (including the synthetic analogs, KW-2189 and CB1-TM1); eleutherobin; pancratistatin; a sarcodictyin; spongistatin; nitrogen mustards such as chlorambucil, chlornaphazine, chlorophosphamide, estramustine, ifosfamide, mechlorethamine, mechlorethamine oxide hydrochloride, melphalan, novembichin, phenesterine, prednimustine, trofosfamide, uracil mustard; nitrosoureas such as carmustine, chlorozotocin, fotemustine, lomustine, nimustine, and ranimnustine; antibiotics such as the enediyne antibiotics (e.g., calicheamicin, calicheamicin gamma1I, calicheamicin omegaIl (Angew Chem. Intl. Ed. Engl. (1994) 33:183-186); dynemicin, dynemicin A; bisphosphonates, such as clodronate; an esperamicin; as well as neocarzinostatin chromophore and related chromoprotein enediyne antibiotic chromophores), aclacinomysins, actinomycin, authramycin, azaserine, bleomycins, cactinomycin, carabicin, carminomycin, carzinophilin, chromomycinis, dactinomycin, daunorubicin, detorubicin, 6-diazo-5-oxo-L-norleucine, morpholino-doxorubicin, cyanomorpholino-doxorubicin, 2-pyrrolino-doxorubicin and deoxydoxorubicin), epirubicin, esorubicin, idarubicin, marcellomycin, mitomycins such as mitomycin C, mycophenolic acid, nogalamycin, olivomycins, peplomycin, porfiromycin, puromycin, quelamycin, rodorubicin, streptonigrin, streptozocin, tubercidin, ubenimex, zinostatin, zorubicin; anti-metabolites such as methotrexate and 5-fluorouracil (5-FU); folic acid analogs such as denopterin, methotrexate, pteropterin, trimetrexate; purine analogs such as fludarabine, 6-mercaptopurine, thiamiprine, thioguanine; pyrimidine analogs such as ancitabine, azacitidine, 6-azauridine, carmofur, cytarabine, dideoxyuridine, doxifluridine, enocitabine, floxuridine; androgens such as calusterone, dromostanolone propionate, epitiostanol, mepitiostane, testolactone; anti-adrenals such as aminoglutethimide, mitotane, trilostane; folic acid replenisher such as frolinic acid; aceglatone; aldophosphamide glycoside; aminolevulinic acid; eniluracil; amsacrine; bestrabucil; bisantrene; edatraxate; defofamine; demecolcine; diaziquone; elfornithine; elliptinium acetate; an epothilone; etoglucid; gallium nitrate; hydroxyurea; lentinan; lonidainine; maytansinoids such as maytansine and ansamitocins; mitoguazone; mitoxantrone; mopidanmol; nitraerine; pentostatin; phenamet; pirarubicin; losoxantrone; podophyllinic acid; 2-ethylhydrazide; procarbazine; PSK® polysaccharide complex (JHS Natural Products, Eugene, OR); razoxane; rhizoxin; sizofiran; spirogermanium; tenuazonic acid; triaziquone; 2,2′,2″-trichlorotriethylamine; trichothecenes (especially T-2 toxin, verracurin A, roridin A and anguidine); urethan; vindesine; dacarbazine; mannomustine; mitobronitol; mitolactol; pipobroman; gacytosine; arabinoside (“Ara-C”); cyclophosphamide; thiotepa; 6-thioguanine; mercaptopurine; methotrexate; platinum analogs such as cisplatin and carboplatin; vinblastine; etoposide (VP-16); ifosfamide; mitoxantrone; vincristine; vinorelbine (NAVELBINE®); novantrone; teniposide; edatrexate; daunomycin; aminopterin; capecitabine (XELODA®, Roche); ibandronate; CPT-11; topoisomerase inhibitor RFS 2000; difluoromethylornithine (DMFO); retinoids such as retinoic acid; and pharmaceutically acceptable salts, acids and derivatives of any of the above.

Also included in the definition of “chemotherapeutic agent” are: (i) anti-hormonal agents that act to regulate or inhibit hormone action on tumors such as anti-estrogens and selective estrogen receptor modulators (SERMs), including, for example, tamoxifen (including NOLVADEX®; tamoxifen citrate), raloxifene, droloxifene, 4-hydroxytamoxifen, trioxifene, keoxifene, LY117018, onapristone, and FARESTON® (toremifine citrate); (ii) aromatase inhibitors that inhibit the enzyme aromatase, which regulates estrogen production in the adrenal glands, such as, for example, 4(5)-imidazoles, aminoglutethimide, MEGASE® (megestrol acetate), AROMASIN® (exemestane; Pfizer), formestanie, fadrozole, RIVISOR® (vorozole), FEMARA® (letrozole; Novartis), and ARIMIDEX® (anastrozole; AstraZeneca); (iii) anti-androgens such as flutamide, nilutamide, bicalutamide, leuprolide, and goserelin; as well as troxacitabine (a 1,3-dioxolane nucleoside cytosine analog); (iv) protein kinase inhibitors such as MEK inhibitors (WO 2007/044515); (v) lipid kinase inhibitors; (vi) antisense oligonucleotides, particularly those which inhibit expression of genes in signaling pathways implicated in aberrant cell proliferation, for example, PKC-alpha, Raf and H-Ras, such as oblimersen (GENASENSE®, Genta Inc.); (vii) ribozymes such as VEGF expression inhibitors (e.g., ANGIOZYME®) and HER2 expression inhibitors; (viii) vaccines such as gene therapy vaccines, for example, ALLOVECTIN®, LEUVECTIN®, and VAXID®; PROLEUKIN® rIL-2; topoisomerase 1 inhibitors such as LURTOTECAN®; ABARELIX® rmRH; (ix) anti-angiogenic agents such as bevacizumab (AVASTIN®, Genentech); and pharmaceutically acceptable salts, acids and derivatives of any of the above.

Also included in the definition of “chemotherapeutic agent” are therapeutic antibodies such as alemtuzumab (Campath), bevacizumab (AVASTIN®, Genentech); cetuximab (ERBITUX®, Imclone); panitumumab (VECTIBIX®, Amgen), rituximab (RITUXAN®, Genentech/Biogen Idec), pertuzumab (OMNITARGTM, 2C4, Genentech), trastuzumab (HERCEPTIN®, Genentech), tositumomab (Bexxar, Corixia), and the antibody drug conjugate, gemtuzumab ozogamicin (MYLOTARG®, Wyeth).

A “growth inhibitory agent” when used herein refers to a compound or composition which inhibits growth of a cell, especially a CD79b-expressing cancer cell, either in vitro or in vivo. Thus, the growth inhibitory agent may be one which significantly reduces the percentage of CD79b-expressing cells in S phase. Examples of growth inhibitory agents include agents that block cell cycle progression (at a place other than S phase), such as agents that induce G1 arrest and M-phase arrest. Classical M-phase blockers include the vincas (vincristine and vinblastine), taxanes, and topoisomerase II inhibitors such as doxorubicin, epirubicin, daunorubicin, etoposide, and bleomycin. Those agents that arrest G1 also spill over into S-phase arrest, for example, DNA alkylating agents such as tamoxifen, prednisone, dacarbazine, mechlorethamine, cisplatin, methotrexate, 5-fluorouracil, and ara-C. Further information can be found in The Molecular Basis of Cancer, Mendelsohn and Israel, eds., Chapter 1, entitled “Cell cycle regulation, oncogenes, and antineoplastic drugs” by Murakami et al. (WB Saunders: Philadelphia, 1995), especially p. 13. The taxanes (paclitaxel and docetaxel) are anticancer drugs both derived from the yew tree. Docetaxel (TAXOTERE®, Rhone-Poulenc Rorer), derived from the European yew, is a semisynthetic analogue of paclitaxel (TAXOL®, Bristol-Myers Squibb). Paclitaxel and docetaxel promote the assembly of microtubules from tubulin dimers and stabilize microtubules by preventing depolymerization, which results in the inhibition of mitosis in cells.

“Doxorubicin” is an anthracycline antibiotic. The full chemical name of doxorubicin is (85-cis)-10-[(3-amino-2,3,6-trideoxy-α-L-lyxo-hexapyranosyl)oxy]-7,8,9,10-tetrahydro-6,8,11-trihydroxy-8-(hydroxyacetyl)-1-methoxy-5,12-naphthacenedione.

The term “cytokine” is a generic term for proteins released by one cell population which act on another cell as intercellular mediators. Examples of such cytokines are lymphokines, monokines, and traditional polypeptide hormones. Included among the cytokines are growth hormone such as human growth hormone, N-methionyl human growth hormone, and bovine growth hormone; parathyroid hormone; thyroxine; insulin; proinsulin; relaxin; prorelaxin; glycoprotein hormones such as follicle stimulating hormone (FSH), thyroid stimulating hormone (TSH), and luteinizing hormone (LH); hepatic growth factor; fibroblast growth factor; prolactin; placental lactogen; tumor necrosis factor-a and -0; mullerian-inhibiting substance; mouse gonadotropin-associated peptide; inhibin; activin; vascular endothelial growth factor; integrin; thrombopoietin (TPO); nerve growth factors such as NGF-β; platelet-growth factor; transforming growth factors (TGFs) such as TGF-α and TGF-β; insulin-like growth factor-I and -II; erythropoietin (EPO); osteoinductive factors; interferons such as interferon -α, -β and -γ; colony stimulating factors (CSFs) such as macrophage-CSF (M-CSF); granulocyte-macrophage-CSF (GM-CSF); and granulocyte-CSF (G-CSF); interleukins (ILs) such as IL-1, IL- la, IL-2, IL-3, IL-4, IL-5, IL-6, IL-7, IL-8, IL-9, IL-11, IL-12; a tumor necrosis factor such as TNF-α or TNF-β; and other polypeptide factors including LIF and kit ligand (KL). As used herein, the term cytokine includes proteins from natural sources or from recombinant cell culture and biologically active equivalents of the native sequence cytokines.

The term “package insert” is used to refer to instructions customarily included in commercial packages of therapeutic products, that contain information about the indications, usage, dosage, administration, contraindications and/or warnings concerning the use of such therapeutic products.

The term “intracellular metabolite” refers to a compound resulting from a metabolic process or reaction inside a cell on an antibody-drug conjugate (ADC). The metabolic process or reaction may be an enzymatic process, such as proteolytic cleavage of a peptide linker of the ADC, or hydrolysis of a functional group such as a hydrazone, ester, or amide. Intracellular metabolites include, but are not limited to, antibodies and free drug which have undergone intracellular cleavage after entry, diffusion, uptake or transport into a cell.

The terms “intracellularly cleaved” and “intracellular cleavage” refer to a metabolic process or reaction inside a cell on an antibody-drug conjugate (ADC) whereby the covalent attachment, i.e. linker, between the drug moiety (D) and the antibody (Ab) is broken, resulting in the free drug dissociated from the antibody inside the cell. The cleaved moieties of the ADC are thus intracellular metabolites.

The term “bioavailability” refers to the systemic availability (i.e., blood/plasma levels) of a given amount of drug administered to a patient. Bioavailability is an absolute term that indicates measurement of both the time (rate) and total amount (extent) of drug that reaches the general circulation from an administered dosage form.

The term “cytotoxic activity” refers to a cell-killing, cytostatic or growth inhibitory effect of an ADC or an intracellular metabolite of an ADC. Cytotoxic activity may be expressed as the IC₅₀ value, which is the concentration (molar or mass) per unit volume at which half the cells survive.

The term “alkyl” as used herein refers to a saturated linear or branched-chain monovalent hydrocarbon radical of one to twelve carbon atoms (C₁₂-C₁₂), wherein the alkyl radical may be optionally substituted independently with one or more substituents described below. In another embodiment, an alkyl radical is one to eight carbon atoms (C₁-C₈), or one to six carbon atoms (C₁-C₆). Examples of alkyl groups include, but are not limited to, methyl (Me, —CH₃), ethyl (Et, —CH₂CH₃), 1-propyl (n-Pr, n-propyl, —CH₂CH₂CH₃), 2-propyl (i-Pr, i-propyl, —CH(CH₃)₂), 1-butyl (n-Bu, n-butyl, —CH₂CH₂CH₂CH₃), 2-methyl- 1 -propyl (i-Bu, i-butyl, —CH₂CH(CH₃)₂), 2-butyl (s-Bu, s-butyl, —CH(CH₃)CH₂CH₃), 2-methyl-2-propyl (t-Bu, t-butyl, —C(CH₃)₃), 1-pentyl (n-pentyl, —CH₂CH₂CH₂CH₂CH₃), 2-pentyl (—CH(CH₃)CH₂CH₂CH₃), 3-pentyl (—CH(CH₂CH₃)₂), 2-methyl-2-butyl (—C(CH₃)₂CH₂CH₃), 3-methyl-2-butyl (—CH(CH₃)CH(CH₃)₂), 3-methyl-1-butyl (—CH₂CH₂CH(CH₃)₂), 2-methyl-1-butyl (—CH₂CH(CH₃)CH₂CH₃), 1-hexyl (—CH₂CH₂CH₂CH₂CH₂CH₃), 2-hexyl (—CH(CH₃)CH₂CH₂CH₂CH₃), 3-hexyl (—CH(CH₂CH₃)(CH₂CH₂CH₃)), 2-methyl-2-pentyl (—C(CH₃)₂CH₂CH₂CH₃), 3-methyl-2-pentyl (—CH(CH₃)CH(CH₃)CH₂CH₃), 4-methyl-2-pentyl (—CH(CH₃)CH₂CH(CH₃)2), 3-methyl-3-pentyl (—C(CH₃)(CH₂CH₃)2), 2-methyl-3-pentyl (—CH(CH₂CH₃)CH(CH₃)₂), 2,3-dimethyl-2-butyl (—C(CH₃)₂CH(CH₃)₂), 3,3-dimethyl-2-butyl (—CH(CH₃)C(CH₃)₃, 1-heptyl, 1-octyl, and the like.

The term “alkenyl” refers to linear or branched-chain monovalent hydrocarbon radical of two to eight carbon atoms (C₂-C₈) with at least one site of unsaturation, i.e., a carbon-carbon, sp² double bond, wherein the alkenyl radical may be optionally substituted independently with one or more substituents described herein, and includes radicals having “cis” and “trans” orientations, or alternatively, “E” and “Z” orientations. Examples include, but are not limited to, ethylenyl or vinyl (—CH═CH₂), allyl (—CH₂CH═CH₂), and the like.

The term “alkynyl” refers to a linear or branched monovalent hydrocarbon radical of two to eight carbon atoms (C₂-C₈) with at least one site of unsaturation, i.e., a carbon-carbon, sp triple bond, wherein the alkynyl radical may be optionally substituted independently with one or more substituents described herein. Examples include, but are not limited to, ethynyl (—CCH), propynyl (propargyl, —CH₂CCH), and the like.

The terms “carbocycle”, “carbocyclyl”, “carbocyclic ring” and “cycloalkyl” refer to a monovalent non-aromatic, saturated or partially unsaturated ring having 3 to 12 carbon atoms (C₃-C₁₂) as a monocyclic ring or 7 to 12 carbon atoms as a bicyclic ring. Bicyclic carbocycles having 7 to 12 atoms can be arranged, for example, as a bicyclo [4,5], [5,5], [5,6] or [6,6] system, and bicyclic carbocycles having 9 or 10 ring atoms can be arranged as a bicyclo [5,6] or [6,6] system, or as bridged systems such as bicyclo[2.2.1]heptane, bicyclo[2.2.2]octane and bicyclo[3.2.2]nonane. Examples of monocyclic carbocycles include, but are not limited to, cyclopropyl, cyclobutyl, cyclopentyl, 1 -cyclopent-1 -enyl, 1 -cyclopent-2 -enyl, 1 -cyclopent-3-enyl, cyclohexyl, 1 -cyclohex-1 -enyl, 1-cyclohex-2-enyl, 1-cyclohex-3-enyl, cyclohexadienyl, cycloheptyl, cyclooctyl, cyclononyl, cyclodecyl, cycloundecyl, cyclododecyl, and the like.

“Aryl” means a monovalent aromatic hydrocarbon radical of 6-20 carbon atoms (C₆-C₂₀) derived by the removal of one hydrogen atom from a single carbon atom of a parent aromatic ring system. Some aryl groups are represented in the exemplary structures as “Ar”. Aryl includes bicyclic radicals comprising an aromatic ring fused to a saturated, partially unsaturated ring, or aromatic carbocyclic ring. Typical aryl groups include, but are not limited to, radicals derived from benzene (phenyl), substituted benzenes, naphthalene, anthracene, biphenyl, indenyl, indanyl, 1,2-dihydronaphthalene, 1,2,3,4-tetrahydronaphthyl, and the like. Aryl groups are optionally substituted independently with one or more substituents described herein.

The terms “heterocycle,” “hetercyclyl” and “heterocyclic ring” are used interchangeably herein and refer to a saturated or a partially unsaturated (i.e., having one or more double and/or triple bonds within the ring) carbocyclic radical of 3 to 20 ring atoms in which at least one ring atom is a heteroatom selected from nitrogen, oxygen, phosphorus and sulfur, the remaining ring atoms being C, where one or more ring atoms is optionally substituted independently with one or more substituents described below. A heterocycle may be a monocycle having 3 to 7 ring members (2 to 6 carbon atoms and 1 to 4 heteroatoms selected from N, O, P, and S) or a bicycle having 7 to 10 ring members (4 to 9 carbon atoms and 1 to 6 heteroatoms selected from N, O, P, and S), for example: a bicyclo [4,5], [5,5], [5,6], or [6,6] system. Heterocycles are described in Paquette, Leo A.; “Principles of Modern Heterocyclic Chemistry” (W. A. Benjamin, New York, 1968), particularly Chapters 1, 3, 4, 6, 7, and 9; “The Chemistry of Heterocyclic Compounds, A series of Monographs” (John Wiley & Sons, New York, 1950 to present), in particular Volumes 13, 14, 16, 19, and 28; and J. Am. Chem. Soc. (1960) 82:5566. “Heterocyclyl” also includes radicals where heterocycle radicals are fused with a saturated, partially unsaturated ring, or aromatic carbocyclic or heterocyclic ring. Examples of heterocyclic rings include, but are not limited to, pyrrolidinyl, tetrahydrofuranyl, dihydrofuranyl, tetrahydrothienyl, tetrahydropyranyl, dihydropyranyl, tetrahydrothiopyranyl, piperidino, morpholino, thiomorpholino, thioxanyl, piperazinyl, homopiperazinyl, azetidinyl, oxetanyl, thietanyl, homopiperidinyl, oxepanyl, thiepanyl, oxazepinyl, diazepinyl, thiazepinyl, 2-pyrrolinyl, 3-pyrrolinyl, indolinyl, 2H-pyranyl, 4H-pyranyl, dioxanyl, 1,3-dioxolanyl, pyrazolinyl, dithianyl, dithiolanyl, dihydropyranyl, dihydrothienyl, dihydrofuranyl, pyrazolidinylimidazolinyl, imidazolidinyl, 3-az abicyco [3.1.0]hexanyl, 3-az abicyclo [4.1.0]heptanyl, azabicyclo[2.2.2]hexanyl, 3H-indolyl quinolizinyl and N-pyridyl ureas. Spiro moieties are also included within the scope of this definition. Examples of a heterocyclic group wherein 2 ring carbon atoms are substituted with oxo (═O) moieties are pyrimidinonyl and 1,1-dioxo-thiomorpholinyl. The heterocycle groups herein are optionally substituted independently with one or more substituents described herein.

The term “heteroaryl” refers to a monovalent aromatic radical of 5-, 6-, or 7-membered rings, and includes fused ring systems (at least one of which is aromatic) of 5-20 atoms, containing one or more heteroatoms independently selected from nitrogen, oxygen, and sulfur. Examples of heteroaryl groups are pyridinyl (including, for example, 2-hydroxypyridinyl), imidazolyl, imidazopyridinyl, pyrimidinyl (including, for example, 4-hydroxypyrimidinyl), pyrazolyl, triazolyl, pyrazinyl, tetrazolyl, furyl, thienyl, isoxazolyl, thiazolyl, oxazolyl, isothiazolyl, pyrrolyl, quinolinyl, isoquinolinyl, indolyl, benzimidazolyl, benzofuranyl, cinnolinyl, indazolyl, indolizinyl, phthalazinyl, pyridazinyl, triazinyl, isoindolyl, pteridinyl, purinyl, oxadiazolyl, triazolyl, thiadiazolyl, thiadiazolyl, furazanyl, benzofurazanyl, benzothiophenyl, benzothiazolyl, benzoxazolyl, quinazolinyl, quinoxalinyl, naphthyridinyl, and furopyridinyl. Heteroaryl groups are optionally substituted independently with one or more substituents described herein.

The heterocycle or heteroaryl groups may be carbon (carbon-linked), or nitrogen (nitrogen-linked) bonded where such is possible. By way of example and not limitation, carbon bonded heterocycles or heteroaryls are bonded at position 2, 3, 4, 5, or 6 of a pyridine, position 3, 4, 5, or 6 of a pyridazine, position 2, 4, 5, or 6 of a pyrimidine, position 2, 3, 5, or 6 of a pyrazine, position 2, 3, 4, or 5 of a furan, tetrahydrofuran, thiofuran, thiophene, pyrrole or tetrahydropyrrole, position 2, 4, or 5 of an oxazole, imidazole or thiazole, position 3, 4, or 5 of an isoxazole, pyrazole, or isothiazole, position 2 or 3 of an aziridine, position 2, 3, or 4 of an azetidine, position 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, or 8 of a quinoline or position 1, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, or 8 of an isoquinoline.

By way of example and not limitation, nitrogen bonded heterocycles or heteroaryls are bonded at position 1 of an aziridine, azetidine, pyrrole, pyrrolidine, 2-pyrroline, 3-pyrroline, imidazole, imidazolidine, 2-imidazoline, 3-imidazoline, pyrazole, pyrazoline, 2-pyrazoline, 3-pyrazoline, piperidine, piperazine, indole, indoline, 1H-indazole, position 2 of a isoindole, or isoindoline, position 4 of a morpholine, and position 9 of a carbazole, or 13-carboline.

“Alkylene” refers to a saturated, branched or straight chain or cyclic hydrocarbon radical of 1-18 carbon atoms, and having two monovalent radical centers derived by the removal of two hydrogen atoms from the same or two different carbon atoms of a parent alkane. Typical alkylene radicals include, but are not limited to: methylene (—CH₂-) 1,2-ethyl (—CH₂CH₂—), 1,3-propyl (—CH₂CH₂CH₂—), 1,4-butyl (—CH₂CH₂CH₂CH₂—), and the like.

A “C₁-C₁₀ alkylene” is a straight chain, saturated hydrocarbon group of the formula —(CH₂)₁₋₁₀—. Examples of a C₁-C₁₀ alkylene include methylene, ethylene, propylene, butylene, pentylene, hexylene, heptylene, ocytylene, nonylene and decalene.

“Alkenylene” refers to an unsaturated, branched or straight chain or cyclic hydrocarbon radical of 2-18 carbon atoms, and having two monovalent radical centers derived by the removal of two hydrogen atoms from the same or two different carbon atoms of a parent alkene. Typical alkenylene radicals include, but are not limited to: 1,2-ethylene (—CH═CH—).

“Alkynylene” refers to an unsaturated, branched or straight chain or cyclic hydrocarbon radical of 2-18 carbon atoms, and having two monovalent radical centers derived by the removal of two hydrogen atoms from the same or two different carbon atoms of a parent alkyne. Typical alkynylene radicals include, but are not limited to: acetylene (—C≡C—), propargyl (—CH₂C≡C—), and 4-pentynyl (—CH₂CH₂CH₂C≡C—).

An “arylene” is an aryl group which has two covalent bonds and can be in the ortho, meta, or para configurations as shown in the following structures:

in which the phenyl group can be unsubstituted or substituted with up to four groups including, but not limited to, —C₁-C₈ alkyl, —O—(C₁-C₈ alkyl), -aryl, —C(O)R′, —OC(O)R′, —C(O)OR′, —C(O)NH₂, —C(O)NHR′, —C(O)N(R′)₂—NHC(O)R′, —S(O)₂R′, —S(O)R′, —OH, -halogen, —N₃ , —NH₂, —NH(R′), —N(R′)₂ and —CN; wherein each R′ is independently selected from H, —C₁-C₈ alkyl and aryl.

“Arylalkyl” refers to an acyclic alkyl radical in which one of the hydrogen atoms bonded to a carbon atom, typically a terminal or sp³ carbon atom, is replaced with an aryl radical. Typical arylalkyl groups include, but are not limited to, benzyl, 2-phenylethan-1 -yl, 2-phenylethen- 1 -yl, naphthylmethyl, 2-naphthylethan- 1 -yl, 2-naphthylethen-1-yl, naphthobenzyl, 2-naphthophenylethan-1-yl and the like. The arylalkyl group comprises 6 to 20 carbon atoms, e.g. the alkyl moiety, including alkanyl, alkenyl or alkynyl groups, of the arylalkyl group is 1 to 6 carbon atoms and the aryl moiety is 5 to 14 carbon atoms.

“Heteroarylalkyl” refers to an acyclic alkyl radical in which one of the hydrogen atoms bonded to a carbon atom, typically a terminal or sp³ carbon atom, is replaced with a heteroaryl radical. Typical heteroarylalkyl groups include, but are not limited to, 2-benzimidazolylmethyl, 2-furylethyl, and the like. The heteroarylalkyl group comprises 6 to 20 carbon atoms, e.g. the alkyl moiety, including alkanyl, alkenyl or alkynyl groups, of the heteroarylalkyl group is 1 to 6 carbon atoms and the heteroaryl moiety is 5 to 14 carbon atoms and 1 to 3 heteroatoms selected from N, O, P, and S. The heteroaryl moiety of the heteroarylalkyl group may be a monocycle having 3 to 7 ring members (2 to 6 carbon atoms or a bicycle having 7 to 10 ring members (4 to 9 carbon atoms and 1 to 3 heteroatoms selected from N, O, P, and S), for example: a bicyclo [4,5], [5,5], [5,6], or [6,6] system.

The term “prodrug” as used in this application refers to a precursor or derivative form of a compound of the invention that may be less cytotoxic to cells compared to the parent compound or drug and is capable of being enzymatically or hydrolytically activated or converted into the more active parent form. See, e.g., Wilman, “Prodrugs in Cancer Chemotherapy” Biochemical Society Transactions, 14, pp. 375-382, 615th Meeting Belfast (1986) and Stella et al., “Prodrugs: A Chemical Approach to Targeted Drug Delivery,” Directed Drug Delivery, Borchardt et al., (ed.), pp. 247-267, Humana Press (1985). The prodrugs of this invention include, but are not limited to, phosphate-containing prodrugs, thiophosphate-containing prodrugs, sulfate-containing prodrugs, peptide-containing prodrugs, D-amino acid-modified prodrugs, glycosylated prodrugs, 13-lactam-containing prodrugs, optionally substituted phenoxyacetamide-containing prodrugs, optionally substituted phenylacetamide-containing prodrugs, 5-fluorocytosine and other 5-fluorouridine prodrugs which can be converted into the more active cytotoxic free drug. Examples of cytotoxic drugs that can be derivatized into a prodrug form for use in this invention include, but are not limited to, compounds of the invention and chemotherapeutic agents such as described above.

A “metabolite” is a product produced through metabolism in the body of a specified compound or salt thereof. Metabolites of a compound may be identified using routine techniques known in the art and their activities determined using tests such as those described herein. Such products may result for example from the oxidation, reduction, hydrolysis, amidation, deamidation, esterification, deesterification, enzymatic cleavage, and the like, of the administered compound. Accordingly, the invention includes metabolites of compounds of the invention, including compounds produced by a process comprising contacting a compound of this invention with a mammal for a period of time sufficient to yield a metabolic product thereof.

A “liposome” is a small vesicle composed of various types of lipids, phospholipids and/or surfactant which is useful for delivery of a drug to a mammal. The components of the liposome are commonly arranged in a bilayer formation, similar to the lipid arrangement of biological membranes.

“Linker” refers to a chemical moiety comprising a covalent bond or a chain of atoms that covalently attaches an antibody to a drug moiety. In various embodiments, linkers include a divalent radical such as an alkyldiyl, an aryldiyl, a heteroaryldiyl, moieties such as: —(CR₂)_(n)O(CR₂)_(n)—, repeating units of alkyloxy (e.g. polyethylenoxy, PEG, polymethyleneoxy) and alkylamino (e.g. polyethyleneamino, Jeffamine™); and diacid ester and amides including succinate, succinamide, diglycolate, malonate, and caproamide.

The term “chiral” refers to molecules which have the property of non-superimposability of the mirror image partner, while the term “achiral” refers to molecules which are superimposable on their mirror image partner.

The term “stereoisomers” refers to compounds which have identical chemical constitution, but differ with regard to the arrangement of the atoms or groups in space.

“Diastereomer” refers to a stereoisomer with two or more centers of chirality and whose molecules are not mirror images of one another. Diastereomers have different physical properties, e.g. melting points, boiling points, spectral properties, and reactivities. Mixtures of diastereomers may separate under high resolution analytical procedures such as electrophoresis and chromatography.

“Enantiomers” refer to two stereoisomers of a compound which are non-superimposable mirror images of one another.

Stereochemical definitions and conventions used herein generally follow S. P. Parker, Ed., McGraw-Hill Dictionary of Chemical Terms (1984) McGraw-Hill Book Company, New York; and Eliel, E. and Wilen, S., Stereochemistry of Organic Compounds (1994) John Wiley & Sons, Inc., New York. Many organic compounds exist in optically active forms, i.e., they have the ability to rotate the plane of plane-polarized light. In describing an optically active compound, the prefixes D and L, or R and S, are used to denote the absolute configuration of the molecule about its chiral center(s). The prefixes d and 1 or (+) and (−) are employed to designate the sign of rotation of plane-polarized light by the compound, with (−) or 1 meaning that the compound is levorotatory. A compound prefixed with (+) or d is dextrorotatory. For a given chemical structure, these stereoisomers are identical except that they are mirror images of one another. A specific stereoisomer may also be referred to as an enantiomer, and a mixture of such isomers is often called an enantiomeric mixture. A 50:50 mixture of enantiomers is referred to as a racemic mixture or a racemate, which may occur where there has been no stereoselection or stereospecificity in a chemical reaction or process. The terms “racemic mixture” and “racemate” refer to an equimolar mixture of two enantiomeric species, devoid of optical activity.

The term “tautomer” or “tautomeric form” refers to structural isomers of different energies which are interconvertible via a low energy barrier. For example, proton tautomers (also known as prototropic tautomers) include interconversions via migration of a proton, such as keto-enol and imine-enamine isomerizations. Valence tautomers include interconversions by reorganization of some of the bonding electrons.

The phrase “pharmaceutically acceptable salt” as used herein, refers to pharmaceutically acceptable organic or inorganic salts of a compound of the invention. Exemplary salts include, but are not limited, to sulfate, citrate, acetate, oxalate, chloride, bromide, iodide, nitrate, bisulfate, phosphate, acid phosphate, isonicotinate, lactate, salicylate, acid citrate, tartrate, oleate, tannate, pantothenate, bitartrate, ascorbate, succinate, maleate, gentisinate, fumarate, gluconate, glucuronate, saccharate, formate, benzoate, glutamate, methanesulfonate “mesylate”, ethanesulfonate, benzenesulfonate, p-toluenesulfonate, and pamoate (i.e., 1,1′-methylene-bis(2-hydroxy-3-naphthoate)) salts. A pharmaceutically acceptable salt may involve the inclusion of another molecule such as an acetate ion, a succinate ion or other counter ion. The counter ion may be any organic or inorganic moiety that stabilizes the charge on the parent compound. Furthermore, a pharmaceutically acceptable salt may have more than one charged atom in its structure. Instances where multiple charged atoms are part of the pharmaceutically acceptable salt can have multiple counter ions. Hence, a pharmaceutically acceptable salt can have one or more charged atoms and/or one or more counter ion.

If the compound of the invention is a base, the desired pharmaceutically acceptable salt may be prepared by any suitable method available in the art, for example, treatment of the free base with an inorganic acid, such as hydrochloric acid, hydrobromic acid, sulfuric acid, nitric acid, methanesulfonic acid, phosphoric acid and the like, or with an organic acid, such as acetic acid, trifluoroacetic acid, maleic acid, succinic acid, mandelic acid, fumaric acid, malonic acid, pyruvic acid, oxalic acid, glycolic acid, salicylic acid, a pyranosidyl acid, such as glucuronic acid or galacturonic acid, an alpha hydroxy acid, such as citric acid or tartaric acid, an amino acid, such as aspartic acid or glutamic acid, an aromatic acid, such as benzoic acid or cinnamic acid, a sulfonic acid, such as p-toluenesulfonic acid or ethanesulfonic acid, or the like.

If the compound of the invention is an acid, the desired pharmaceutically acceptable salt may be prepared by any suitable method, for example, treatment of the free acid with an inorganic or organic base, such as an amine (primary, secondary or tertiary), an alkali metal hydroxide or alkaline earth metal hydroxide, or the like. Illustrative examples of suitable salts include, but are not limited to, organic salts derived from amino acids, such as glycine and arginine, ammonia, primary, secondary, and tertiary amines, and cyclic amines, such as piperidine, morpholine and piperazine, and inorganic salts derived from sodium, calcium, potassium, magnesium, manganese, iron, copper, zinc, aluminum and lithium.

The phrase “pharmaceutically acceptable” indicates that the substance or composition must be compatible chemically and/or toxicologically, with the other ingredients comprising a formulation, and/or the mammal being treated therewith.

A “solvate” refers to an association or complex of one or more solvent molecules and a compound of the invention. Examples of solvents that form solvates include, but are not limited to, water, isopropanol, ethanol, methanol, DMSO, ethyl acetate, acetic acid, and ethanolamine. The term “hydrate” refers to the complex where the solvent molecule is water.

The term “protecting group” refers to a substituent that is commonly employed to block or protect a particular functionality while reacting other functional groups on the compound. For example, an “amino-protecting group” is a substituent attached to an amino group that blocks or protects the amino functionality in the compound. Suitable amino-protecting groups include acetyl, trifluoroacetyl, t-butoxycarbonyl (BOC), benzyloxycarbonyl (CBZ) and 9-fluorenylmethylenoxycarbonyl (Fmoc). Similarly, a “hydroxy-protecting group” refers to a substituent of a hydroxy group that blocks or protects the hydroxy functionality. Suitable protecting groups include acetyl and silyl. A “carboxy-protecting group” refers to a substituent of the carboxy group that blocks or protects the carboxy functionality. Common carboxy-protecting groups include phenylsulfonylethyl, cyanoethyl, 2-(trimethylsilyl)ethyl, 2-(trimethylsilyl)ethoxymethyl, 2-(p-toluenesulfonyl)ethyl, 2-(p-nitrophenylsulfenyl)ethyl, 2-(diphenylphosphino)-ethyl, nitroethyl and the like. For a general description of protecting groups and their use, see T. W. Greene, Protective Groups in Organic Synthesis, John Wiley & Sons, New York, 1991.

“Leaving group” refers to a functional group that can be substituted by another functional group. Certain leaving groups are well known in the art, and examples include, but are not limited to, a halide (e.g., chloride, bromide, iodide), methanesulfonyl (mesyl), p-toluenesulfonyl (tosyl), trifluoromethylsulfonyl (triflate), and trifluoromethylsulfo nate.

Abbreviations

LINKER COMPONENTS:

MC=6-maleimidocaproyl

Val-Cit or “vc”=valine-citrulline (an exemplary dipeptide in a protease cleavable linker)

Citrulline=2-amino-5-ureido pentanoic acid

PAB=p-aminobenzyloxycarbonyl (an example of a “self immolative” linker component)

Me-Val-Cit=N-methyl-valine-citrulline (wherein the linker peptide bond has been modified to prevent its cleavage by cathepsin B)

MC(PEG)6-OH=maleimidocaproyl- polyethylene glycol (can be attached to antibody cysteines). CYTOTOXIC DRUGS:

MMAE=mono-methyl auristatin E (MW 718)

MMAF=variant of auristatin E (MMAE) with a phenylalanine at the C-terminus of the drug (MW 731.5)

MMAF-DMAEA=MMAF with DMAEA (dimethylaminoethylamine) in an amide linkage to the C-terminal phenylalanine (MW 801.5)

MMAF-TEG=MMAF with tetraethylene glycol esterified to the phenylalanine

MMAF-NtBu=N-t-butyl, attached as an amide to C-terminus of MMAF

DM1=N(2′)-deacetyl-N(2′)-(3-mercapto-l-oxopropyl)-maytansine

DM3=N(2)-deacetyl-N2 -(4-mercapto-1 -o xopentyp-maytansine

DM4=N(2)-deacetyl-N2-(4-mercapto-4-methyl-1-oxopentyl)-maytansine

Further abbreviations are as follows: AE is auristatin E, Boc is N-(t-butoxycarbonyl), cit is citrulline, dap is dolaproine, DCC is 1,3-dicyclohexylcarbodiimide, DCM is dichloromethane, DEA is diethylamine, DEAD is diethylazodicarboxylate, DEPC is diethylphosphorylcyanidate, DIAD is diisopropylazodicarboxylate, DIEA is N,N-diisopropylethylamine, dil is dolaisoleucine, DMA is dimethylacetamide, DMAP is 4-dimethylaminopyridine, DME is ethyleneglycol dimethyl ether (or 1,2-dimethoxyethane), DMF is N,N-dimethylformamide, DMSO is dimethylsulfoxide, doe is dolaphenine, dov is N,N-dimethylvaline, DTNB is 5,5′ -dithiobis(2-nitrobenzoic acid), DTPA is diethylenetriaminepentaacetic acid, DTT is dithiothreitol, EDCI is 1-(3-dimethylaminopropyl)-3-ethylcarbodiimide hydrochloride, EEDQ is 2-ethoxy-1-ethoxycarbonyl-1,2-dihydroquinoline, ES-MS is electrospray mass spectrometry, EtOAc is ethyl acetate, Fmoc is N-(9-fluorenylmethoxycarbonyl), gly is glycine, HATU is O-(7-azabenzotriazol-1-ye-N,N,N′,N′-tetramethyluronium hexafluorophosphate, HOBt is 1-hydroxybenzotriazole, HPLC is high pressure liquid chromatography, ile is isoleucine, lys is lysine, MeCN (CH₃CN) is acetonitrile, MeOH is methanol, Mtr is 4-anisyldiphenylmethyl (or 4-methoxytrityl),nor is (1S, 2R)-(+)-norephedrine, PBS is phosphate-buffered saline (pH 7.4), PEG is polyethylene glycol, Ph is phenyl, Pnp is p-nitrophenyl, MC is 6-maleimidocaproyl, phe is L-phenylalanine, PyBrop is bromo tris-pyrrolidino phosphonium hexafluorophosphate, SEC is size-exclusion chromatography, Su is succinimide, TFA is trifluoroacetic acid, TLC is thin layer chromatography, UV is ultraviolet, and val is valine.

A “free cysteine amino acid” refers to a cysteine amino acid residue which has been engineered into a parent antibody, has a thiol functional group (-SH), and is not paired as an intramolecular or intermolecular disulfide bridge.

The term “thiol reactivity value” is a quantitative characterization of the reactivity of free cysteine amino acids. The thiol reactivity value is the percentage of a free cysteine amino acid in a cysteine engineered antibody which reacts with a thiol-reactive reagent, and converted to a maximum value of 1. For example, a free cysteine amino acid on a cysteine engineered antibody which reacts in 100% yield with a thiol-reactive reagent, such as a biotin-maleimide reagent, to form a biotin-labelled antibody has a thiol reactivity value of 1.0. Another cysteine amino acid engineered into the same or different parent antibody which reacts in 80% yield with a thiol-reactive reagent has a thiol reactivity value of 0.8. Another cysteine amino acid engineered into the same or different parent antibody which fails totally to react with a thiol-reactive reagent has a thiol reactivity value of 0. Determination of the thiol reactivity value of a particular cysteine may be conducted by ELISA assay, mass spectroscopy, liquid chromatography, autoradiography, or other quantitative analytical tests.

A “parent antibody” is an antibody comprising an amino acid sequence from which one or more amino acid residues are replaced by one or more cysteine residues. The parent antibody may comprise a native or wild type sequence. The parent antibody may have pre-existing amino acid sequence modifications (such as additions, deletions and/or substitutions) relative to other native, wild type, or modified forms of an antibody. A parent antibody may be directed against a target antigen of interest, e.g. a biologically important polypeptide. Antibodies directed against nonpolypeptide antigens (such as tumor-associated glycolipid antigens; see U.S. Pat. No. 5,091,178) are also contemplated. 

1-16. (canceled)
 17. A humanized anti-CD79b antibody wherein monovalent affinity of the antibody to human CD79b is substantially the same as monovalent affinity of a murine antibody comprising a light chain and heavy chain variable sequence as depicted in FIGS. 7A-7 (SEQ ID NO: 10) and FIGS. 8A-8 (SEQ ID NO: 14). 18-258. (canceled) 